The Lifecycle of a Clinical Cadaver: A Practice-Based Ethnography

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Philosophy of Medicine

Background:

• Cadavers are crucial in medical education, yet research often overlooks ethical and philosophical dimensions.
• Existing studies focus on student reactions and skill improvement, neglecting the experiential aspects of learning with cadavers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ethical, philosophical, and experiential aspects of teaching and learning with cadavers.
• To analyze the ontological transformations and lifecycle of an educational cadaver using ethnographic methods.
• To understand the 'humanness' and ontological ambiguity of cadavers in medical simulation.

Main Methods:

• Ethnographic study over two years (2018/19-2019/20).
• 137 hours of observation, 24 interviews, and analysis of 22 documents.
• Application of Deleuze and Guattari's concepts of becoming and acts of creation.

Main Results:

• Delineated six sub-phases of the cadaver's ontological lifecycle: person, donor, body, cadaver, educational cadaver, teacher, and loved one/legacy.
• Identified bureaucratic, technical, educational, and humanistic practices influencing cadaver perception and interaction.
• Conceptualized a third type of fidelity in medical simulation: ontological fidelity, stemming from the cadaver's inherent humanness.

Conclusions:

• Cadaver-based simulation (CBS) is an inherently philosophical practice shaped by the cadaver's ontological ambiguity.
• The lifecycle of an educational cadaver involves meaningful acts of becoming, highlighting its unique role beyond physical or functional aspects.
• The humanistic dimension of CBS makes it an irreplaceable component of medical training.