scholarly journals Repeated Exposure to Dissection Does Not Influence Students’ Attitudes towards Human Body Donation for Anatomy Teaching

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Maseghe Mwachaka ◽  
Pamela Mandela ◽  
Hassan Saidi

The use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection has been the main method of instruction at our institution. There is however a shortage of cadavers for dissection given the increase in the number of medical schools as well as in the number of students enrolling in these schools. This shortage could be mitigated by having voluntary human body donation programs. This study aimed at assessing the attitudes of medical students and surgical residents towards body donation for anatomy learning. We conducted an online survey involving 72 first-year medical students and 41 surgical residents at University of Nairobi who had completed one year of anatomy dissection. For the medical students, this was their first dissection experience while it was the second exposure for the surgery trainees. Most of the surgical trainees (70.7%) and medical students (68.1%) were opposed to self-body donation. This was mainly due to cultural (37%) and religious (20%) barriers. Surprisingly, of those not willing to donate themselves, 67.9% (82.8% surgical trainees, 59.2% medical students) would recommend the practice to other people. Exposure to repeated dissection does not change the perceptions towards body donation. It is noteworthy that culture and religion rank high as clear barriers amongst this “highly informed” group of potential donors.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pollyanna Cohen ◽  
Jonathan Mayhew ◽  
Faye Gishen ◽  
Henry W. W. Potts ◽  
Patricia A. Lohr ◽  
...  

Abstract Background One in three women in the United Kingdom (UK) will have an abortion before age 45, making abortion provision an essential aspect of reproductive healthcare. Despite this, abortion remains ethically contested and stigmatised, with variable teaching in UK medical schools and concerns about falling numbers of doctors willing to participate in abortion care. University College London Medical School (UCLMS) has designed practical, inclusive, teaching that aims to give students an understanding of the importance of abortion care and prepare them to be competent practitioners in this area. This study aimed to determine students’ opinions of this teaching and their wider attitudes towards abortion. Methods We invited all 357 final-year UCL medical students to complete an online survey consisting of closed-ended questions, exploring their opinions on their abortion teaching, their personal beliefs about abortion and their future willingness to be involved in abortion care. We analysed responses using non-parametric tests. Results 146 questionnaires (41% response rate) showed 83% of students identified as pro-choice (agree with the right to choose an abortion). 57% felt they received the right amount of abortion teaching, 39% would have liked more and 4% stated they received too much. There was no correlation between students’ attitudes to abortion and the rating of teaching; both pro-choice and pro-life (opposed to the right to choose an abortion) students generally rated the teaching as important and valued the range of methods used. Students requested more simulated practice speaking to patients requesting an abortion. Students with pro-life beliefs expressed lower willingness to discuss, refer, certify and provide future abortions. Students interested in careers in specialties where they may encounter abortion were more likely to be pro-choice than pro-life. Conclusions The majority of participating UCL medical students were pro-choice and willing to be involved in future abortion care. Efforts to make teaching on abortion practical, engaging, sensitive and inclusive were appreciated. As well as preparing students to be competent and caring practitioners, the teaching appears to contribute towards them viewing abortion as an essential aspect of women’s healthcare, and may contribute to destigmatising abortion.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 238212052110727
Author(s):  
Samiullah Dost ◽  
Lana Al-Nusair ◽  
Mai Shehab ◽  
Arwa Hagana ◽  
Aleena Hossain ◽  
...  

Objectives The objectives of this study were the following: (i) assess interest levels in cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) among UK-based medical students, (ii) identify potential motivators and barriers to pursuing CTS training, (iii) explore the influence of gender on interest in CTS in greater depth. Methods Medical students from all year groups across UK medical schools were invited to participate in a cross-sectional, national online survey. Responses were collected from 02/12/2019 to 08/12/2019. Results 1675 medical students from 31 UK medical schools responded, with an estimated 5.3% response rate. Of the respondents, 33.7% respondents reported having exposure to CTS, primarily through their medical school or through extracurricular activities (48.4% and 38.8%, respectively). When assessing interest in CTS, 31.4% were interested in undertaking a career in CTS, with a larger proportion of students expressing interest with no exposure to CTS than those with exposure. However, interest in pursuing CTS decreased with exposure as medical students transitioned from pre-clinical to clinical stages. Additionally, male participants were more interested in seeking a CTS post than their female counterparts (38% vs. 27.6%). The length of training ( p = 0.0009) and competitive nature ( p < 0.0001) of gaining a CTS post were the primary deterring factor for female participants, compared to their male counterparts. Conclusions This study shows the importance of quality of exposure and its impact on students’ interests in pursuing a career in CTS. The negative relationship between exposure and interest in CTS can be associated with the realisation of the challenges that come with pursuing CTS.


Open Medicine ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 316-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Bin ◽  
Paola Delbon ◽  
Mauro Piras ◽  
Mariano Paternoster ◽  
Pierpaolo Di Lorenzo ◽  
...  

AbstractIn recent years in Italy (and in the other European Countries) a new debated topic involves anatomists and the scientific world: donation of the body after death for scientific purposes. The aim of our analysis is to analyze the issue of voluntary body donation in Italy focusing first of all, on key principles of the disciplines of donation. Considering the rise of exhibitions and events in which death is spectacularized, the debate is focus on will, on respect and overall on the purpose for which the body is donated. Anatomical dissection is considered necessary in the direct learning of the human body, of surgical practices and new scientific techniques but the scarcity of programmes and regulations regarding the donation of bodies for study and research make it an uncommon practice. After discussing what are the constitutional principles underlying the issue we want to emphasize the need of a more effective and updated regulation to set limits and methods of a practice still essential for scientific progress.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pollyanna Cohen ◽  
Jonathan Mayhew ◽  
Faye Gishen ◽  
Henry W. W. Potts ◽  
Patricia A. Lohr ◽  
...  

Abstract Background One in three women in the United Kingdom (UK) will have an abortion before age 45, making abortion provision an essential aspect of reproductive healthcare. Despite this, abortion remains ethically contested and stigmatised, with variable teaching in UK medical schools and concerns about falling numbers of doctors willing to participate in abortion care. University College London Medical School (UCLMS) has designed practical, inclusive, teaching that aims to give students an understanding of the importance of abortion care and prepare them to be competent practitioners in this area. This study aimed to determine students’ opinions of this teaching and their wider attitudes towards abortion. Methods We invited all 357 final-year UCL medical students to complete an online survey consisting of closed-ended questions, exploring their opinions on their abortion teaching, their personal beliefs about abortion and their future willingness to be involved in abortion care. We analysed responses using non-parametric tests. Results One hundred and forty-six questionnaires (41% response rate) showed 83% of students identified as pro-choice (agree with the right to choose an abortion). Fifty-seven percent felt they received the right amount of abortion teaching, 39% would have liked more and 4% stated they received too much. There was no correlation between students’ attitudes to abortion and the rating of teaching; both pro-choice and pro-life (opposed to the right to choose an abortion) students generally rated the teaching as important and valued the range of methods used. Students requested more simulated practice speaking to patients requesting an abortion. Students with pro-life beliefs expressed lower willingness to discuss, refer, certify and provide future abortions. Students interested in careers in specialties where they may encounter abortion were more likely to be pro-choice than pro-life. Conclusions The majority of participating UCL medical students were pro-choice and willing to be involved in future abortion care. Efforts to make teaching on abortion practical, engaging, sensitive and inclusive were appreciated. As well as preparing students to be competent and caring practitioners, the teaching appears to contribute towards them viewing abortion as an essential aspect of women’s healthcare, and may contribute to destigmatising abortion.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Avian ◽  
Stephanie Poggenburg ◽  
Dagmar Schaffler-Schaden ◽  
Kathryn Hoffmann ◽  
Linda Sanftenberg ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A shortage of general practitioners (GPs) is common to many European countries. To counteract this, it is essential to understand the factors that encourage or discourage medical students from choosing to become a GP Objective To evaluate medical students’ attitudes towards general practice and to identify factors that discourage them from considering a career as a GP. Methods In this multinational cross-sectional online survey, 29 284 students from nine German, four Austrian and two Slovenian universities were invited to answer a questionnaire consisting of 146 closed and 13 open-ended items. Results Of the 4486 students that responded (response rate: 15.3%), 3.6% wanted to become a GP, 48.1% were undecided and 34.6% did not want to be a GP. Significant predictors for interest in becoming a GP were higher age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.10], positive evaluation of the content of a GP’s work (OR = 4.44; 95% CI = 3.26–6.06), organizational aspects (OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.13–1.78), practical experience of general practice (OR = 1.66; 95% CI = 1.08–2.56) and the country of the survey [Slovenian versus German students (Reference): OR = 2.19; 95% CI = 1.10–4.38; Austrian versus German students (Reference): OR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.32–0.79]. Conclusion Strategies to convince undecided students to opt for a career as a GP should include a positive representation of a GP’s work and early and repeated experience of working in a general practice during medical school.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Kirby ◽  
H Franco ◽  
S Burger ◽  
D Shadé Breedt ◽  
J Davies ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a variety of unforeseen challenges to medical students and surgical trainees. Adaptations to the content and delivery of medical education are inevitable as institutions respond to the virus. Departments face significant restructuring, with important implications for training. Our aim was to assess the global impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on medical and surgical education. Method Between 12 May and 26 May 2020, an online survey was conducted and circulated to contacts of the International Association of Student Surgical Societies, including medical students and healthcare practitioners. All data were anonymous; no personal identifiable information was collected. Consent was implied by participation in the survey, which was on a voluntary basis. Results We collated 527 responses from 111 institutions across 26 countries. Globally, 93.5% of medical student placements were affected by the first wave of COVID-19, with examination restructuring and alternative teaching methods employed by 87.8% of medical schools. Trainee redeployment was common in both surgical (61.5%) and non-surgical (77.1%) disciplines. Surgical services were significantly affected, with reduced elective procedures in 93% of institutions. On an individual level, COVID-19 resulted in prolonged absence from clinical duties and mental health concerns at all levels of training. Conclusions Our data highlight drastic changes in medical and surgical education and practice as a result of the first wave of COVID-19. These changes are significant at all levels of training, both institutionally and individually. The pandemic is likely to have persistent consequences for future trainees in terms of education and career progression.


1985 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 38-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Franklin ◽  
Pamela A. Samaha ◽  
Janet C. Rice ◽  
Susan M. Igras

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp20X711293
Author(s):  
Sarah Garnett ◽  
Hajira Dambha-Miller ◽  
Beth Stuart

BackgroundEmpathy is a key health care concept and refers to care that incorporates understanding of patient perspective’s, shared decision making, and consideration of the broader context in which illness is experience. Evidence suggests experiences of doctor empathy correlate with improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction. It has also been linked to job satisfaction, and mental wellbeing for doctors. To date, there is a paucity of evidence on empathy levels among medical students. This is critical to understand given that it is a key point at which perceptions and practices of empathy in the longer term might be formed.AimTo quantify the level of empathy among UK undergraduate medical studentsMethodAn anonymised cross-sectional online survey was distributed to medical students across three universities. The previously validated Davis’s Interpersonal Reactivity Index was used to quantify empathy. The survey also collected information on age, sex, ethnicity, year of medical school training and included a free-text box for ‘any other comments’.ResultsData analysis is currently underway with high response rates. Mean empathy scores by age, sex, year of study and ethnic group are presented. A correlation analysis will examine associations between age and year of study, and mean empathy sores.ConclusionThese data will help to provide a better understanding of empathy levels to inform the provision of future empathy training and medical school curriculum design. Given previous evidence linking experiences of empathy to better health outcomes, the findings may also be significant to future patient care


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler Hamby ◽  
W. Paul Bowman ◽  
Don P. Wilson ◽  
Riyaz Basha

Abstract Context Medical students, especially at osteopathic medical schools, have limited research exposure. Systematic instruction in research, supervised by qualified mentors, could motivate osteopathic medical students to pursue research in their careers, thereby increasing the number of future clinician-scientists. Recruiting and retaining suitable research mentors are crucial to sustaining such programs, but this task is also particularly challenging for osteopathic medical schools. Objectives To assess mentors' experiences in a voluntary student-mentor medical research program. Methods An online survey was sent to 76 university- or hospital-based participants who previously mentored 219 medical students between 2014 and 2019. The questionnaire consisted of 13 items with responses in checklist, five-point Likert scale, and categorical multiple-choice formats, assessing motivation for participation, satisfaction with the program, and interest in future participation. Data were analyzed descriptively, and responses from mentors at the university and hospital were compared using univariate logistic and ordinal regression analyses. Results Among 70 (92.1%) mentors who responded to the survey, 61 (87.1%) reported being motivated by a desire to help medical students learn research. Forty-nine (70.0%) mentors indicated that furthering their own research productivity was a motivation, and hospital-based mentors were statistically significantly more likely to endorse this source of motivation (OR=2.02; 95% CI=1.18–3.45; p=0.01). Most respondents were satisfied with the quality of the students' work (59 [84.3%]) and with the program (59 [85.5%]). However, 46 (65.7%) suggested the program could be enhanced by requiring medical students to be physically present in the clinic or laboratory for a minimum amount of time. Importantly, most (58 [84.1%]) mentors reported that they would be interested in participating in future mentored research programs. Conclusions Mentors were motivated to participate in the voluntary research program for both altruistic and professional reasons. Since most mentors reported being satisfied with the program, it is likely they would participate in future mentored research programs. Our results suggest that mentors viewed this voluntary research program as mutually beneficial.


Author(s):  
Monica Rose Arebalos ◽  
Faun Lee Botor ◽  
Edward Simanton ◽  
Jennifer Young

AbstractAlthough medical students enter medicine with altruistic motives and seek to serve indigent populations, studies show that medical students’ attitudes towards the undeserved tend to worsen significantly as they go through their medical education. This finding emphasizes the need for medical educators to implement activities such as service-learning that may help mitigate this negative trend.All students at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Medicine are required to participate in longitudinal service-learning throughout medical school, and a majority of students interact with the underserved at their service-learning sites. Using the previously validated Medical Student Attitudes Towards the Underserved (MSATU), independent sample T-tests showed that students who interact with underserved populations at their sites scored with significantly better attitudes towards the underserved at the end of their preclinical phase. Subjects included 58 medical students with 100% taking the MSATU. This result indicates that longitudinal service-learning, particularly when it includes interaction with the underserved, can be one method to combat the worsening of medical students’ attitudes as they complete their medical education.


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