Unclaimed Bodies in Anatomical Education: Medical Student Attitudes at One U.S. Medical Institution

Dissection of cadavers is a common practice in anatomical education. To meet demand for cadavers, some medical institutions facilitate dissection of individuals who did not provide consent during their life. This includes the bodies of individuals who passed away with either no living kin or no kin able to claim and bury their body. Recent literature demonstrates widespread discomfort with this practice among anatomy course directors at U.S. institutions, bringing into question continuation of this practice. However, attitudes among medical students must similarly be assessed as they represent key stakeholders in the dissection process. The purpose of this study was to assess prevailing attitudes among a sample of medical students at one U.S. medical institution regarding the dissection of unclaimed bodies and identify emerging themes in ethical viewpoints.

Two-hundred-twelve students (35% response rate) at one U.S. medical institution completed an anonymous online survey. Students came from different class cohorts at various stages of their training. Survey items were developed to capture students' academic and emotional experience with anatomical dissection and to identify emerging themes in attitudes.

Students reported high regard for cadaveric dissection in general with 170 (80%) respondents endorsing it as critical to anatomical education. Regarding dissection of unclaimed bodies, 30% of students found the practice ethical while 47% of students found the practice unethical. Multivariate analysis found that ethical view was directly associated with comfort level (OR= 156.16; 95% CI: 34.04, 716.40). Most students expressed comfort dissecting self-donated bodies (n = 206, 97%), while fewer students expressed comfort dissecting unclaimed bodies (n = 66, 31.1%). This latter finding significantly correlated with gender (t = 3.361. p < 0.05), class cohort (F = 3.576, p < 0.01), but not with religious affiliation or age. Thematic analysis revealed the following themes in student responses: (1) invoking ethical paradigms to either justify or condemn the practice, (2) subjective experiences, and (3) withholding judgment of the practice.

Many students expressed negative attitudes toward the dissection of unclaimed bodies, with some citing issues of social vulnerability, justice, and autonomy. These findings indicate that many students' ethical code may conflict with institutional policies which permit this practice. Medical school represents a critical time in the professional development of trainees, and development practices which align with the moral code of local institutions and stakeholders is crucial.