The symptoms and stress experienced by medical students in anatomy dissection halls

Exposure to the dissection of human cadavers is a stressful experience that causes a wide range of symptoms among medical students. This study examined the symptoms experienced by newly enrolled medical students of a Nigerian university following their first exposure to cadavers.

During the academic years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, we conducted a survey among 87 second-year medical students who belonged to the Nile University of Nigeria. A self-administered questionnaire that assessed different symptoms and the Appraisal of Life Events (ALE) Scale were used to collect data.

The participants obtained mean scores of 6 out of 30 (20.33%), 16 out of 30 (55.50%), and 5 out of 20 (26.15%) on the threat, challenge, and loss dimensions of the ALE Scale, respectively. When they were exposed to the cadaver, a majority of the students reportedly felt not only curious and excited but also anxious. Additionally, they reported experiencing symptoms such as palpitations, difficulty breathing, nausea, and feeling faint and dizzy. In order to alleviate such feelings, most of the students focused on the task at hand (i.e. dissection), engaged in religious activities, tried to relax, or sought the help of their lecturers.

Our findings revealed that, even though their first exposure to a cadaver was stressful, the students were resilient. The students appraised this experience positively and had taken efforts to cope with their symptoms. This is unlikely that stressful feelings pose negative influence on the medical students during their study in anatomy dissection hall.