Student-Authored Autopsy Reports of Anatomical Donors: Their First Patients

The preparation of student-authored autopsy reports of anatomical donors was added to the Gross Anatomy course to integrate the basic and clinical sciences and determine whether students considered this early clinical exposure to be a valuable experience. All donors were scanned using computerized tomography (CT) and student groups received the scan of their donor and a report written by a radiologist. As students dissected, they took photographs and biopsies of pathological findings that were processed for microscopic evaluation. Following consultation with pathologists and radiologists, each group prepared an autopsy report that proposed a cause of death supported with macroscopic, microscopic, and CT images. Cardiovascular events and cancer were the most common. Autopsy reports were evaluated by the faculty and each student group received feedback with respect to content, accuracy, and completeness and whether faculty agreed with students' proposed cause of death. A majority of students answering an anonymous survey indicated that this exercise was valuable or somewhat valuable, but did not agree that preparation of the autopsy report resulted in their being more engaged during the course. Students agreed or somewhat agreed that the exercise should be repeated next year, that they gained insight into the clinical manifestations of disease, that they were able to interpret the CT scan themselves, that meeting with a pathologist was interesting, and that the time required to prepare the report was adequate. Since autopsy reports prepared by students are feasible and students found it to be a valuable experience, we suggest that medical schools add this to Gross Anatomy courses to introduce clinical material and increase clinical relevance.