Anatomical dissection and Medical Education: a systematic review of literature

Today, the place of anatomical dissection (AD), the former "gold standard" of anatomy teaching is largely debated in medical education due to various factors (i.e. new and attractive pedagogical tools, changes in academic medical curricula, shortage of bodies). The aim of this study was to assess the current place of AD in both undergraduate students' curriculum and more generally in medical education, and to evaluate both the students' perception and the effectiveness of AD compared to other teaching techniques, by means of a review of literature. A systematic research was conducted using the electronic databases of PubMed and various publishers with combinations of the relevant MeSH terms. A manual research was added. Considerable variation in the place of AD in undergraduate students' curriculum was identified according to the studies. The use of AD was also reported in various postgraduate training programs and numerous anatomical research projects. Students' perceptions regarding AD were largely positive in the vast majority of the surveys. Objective evaluations were rarer but globally positive. A striking finding was the concept of the "silent mentor" or "first teacher" suggesting the strong impact of AD as the first step of medical practice and ethics. Despite an indubitable regression in most of undergraduate students' curricula, AD still stands out as an unparalleled pedagogical tool in medical education in the light of literature. By combination of AD with various other educational methods, its place should be adapted according to the specific conditions of each institution and purpose.