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Do all medical students have to do human dissection and observe autopsy?

I am currently a medical science student at a college locally and a few days a go some people from my class dissected a pigs kidney.

Having a read through Sheffield University Prospectus for biomedical science it said that they carry out a human dissection which I thought was shocking and couldn't believe it.

I am thinking of studying postgraduate medicine as I am passionate about wanting to become a doctor and helping treat sick patients etc..

however, I was just wondering if all medicine students have to dissect a dead human body or observe because i really can't do that, it feels inhumane to me. and it may be the difference between choosing to study medicine or not.

please help! Any suggestions or experiences or any ideas how I can study medicine without gross anatomy and autopsy etc..

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Not all medical schools do dissection
You don't have to see any autopsies until you become a pathologist/rotate through as a junior

You will have to work with human cadavers at medical school.
Only a handful of UK unis offer full body human dissection.
Reply 3
Avatar for Helenia
Helenia
20
Original post by Hype en Ecosse
Not all medical schools do dissection
You don't have to see any autopsies until you become a pathologist/rotate through as a junior

You will have to work with human cadavers at medical school.


This. I did see one post-mortem while a med student, but I chose to go, because it was a patient I had been looking after. It wasn't compulsory, though I do think it was a useful experience.

The cadavers you dissect/specimens you look at if yours is a prosection school all come from volunteers who have willingly donated their bodies to science in order to educate the next generation of doctors. What is it that you're particularly concerned about?
Original post by 08.f.poswal
how I can study medicine without gross anatomy and autopsy etc..


You will have to study anatomy at med school.

You will have to handle human bodies - dead at first then the more gross, more scary alive ones. This is unavoidable.

A lot of people find the idea of helping with surgery, or putting needles into people daunting at first. It gets very normal very quickly and virtually no one has problems with it after that first dissection room.

I would not consider it a reason to change your career for, but it is something you'll have to deal with.
Reply 5
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navarre
20
Half way through 2nd year. Never seen/touched a dead human body in my life. It *can* be done, but it just depends on the School you go to.
Original post by navarre
Half way through 2nd year. Never seen/touched a dead human body in my life. It *can* be done, but it just depends on the School you go to.


Seriously? How do you study anatomy?
Reply 7
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navarre
20
Original post by Hype en Ecosse
Seriously? How do you study anatomy?


Plastic models/human models for surface anatomy/flashcards/textbooks.
Original post by navarre
Plastic models/human models for surface anatomy/flashcards/textbooks.


Those better be some bloody good plastic model! I've yet to see one that looks anything like the prosections in the anatomy lab
Reply 9
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DrID
10
Original post by Hype en Ecosse
Those better be some bloody good plastic model! I've yet to see one that looks anything like the prosections in the anatomy lab


I've yet to see a prosection that looks anything like living anatomy though!

So, once you're qualified you will be seeing and doing things with dead people. This is absolutely unavoidable. Just remember these people donated their body after death willingly to help you train, there is nothing inhumane or cruel about it. It is a very kind thing for someone to do.

nobody has to see an autopsy (as in a post mortem examination) although you can, if you wish. To be honest, after med school you would not be thrown by a post mortem at all. Dead people are not in the slightest bit scary, once you get used to it. And everyone does.... even the few that faint the first few times :biggrin:
One reason why I wouldn't want to do Medicine.
Original post by DrID
I've yet to see a prosection that looks anything like living anatomy though!


Touché. But much better for living anatomy not to be your first exposure to "real" anatomy, though, no? :tongue:
Original post by Hype en Ecosse
Touché. But much better for living anatomy not to be your first exposure to "real" anatomy, though, no? :tongue:


I'm picturing someone vomiting into a laparotomy.
Original post by Hype en Ecosse
Those better be some bloody good plastic model! I've yet to see one that looks anything like the prosections in the anatomy lab


They're decent, and I certainly don't feel like I'm missing anything.
Is that a dead human body? nd how do you work with it, do you investigate parts or just..?
Original post by Helenia
This. I did see one post-mortem while a med student, but I chose to go, because it was a patient I had been looking after. It wasn't compulsory, though I do think it was a useful experience.

The cadavers you dissect/specimens you look at if yours is a prosection school all come from volunteers who have willingly donated their bodies to science in order to educate the next generation of doctors. What is it that you're particularly concerned about?


I am concerned about any form of dealing with real body organs etc. and of course seeing an autopsy and any form of dissection with it.
Original post by nexttime
You will have to study anatomy at med school.

You will have to handle human bodies - dead at first then the more gross, more scary alive ones. This is unavoidable.

A lot of people find the idea of helping with surgery, or putting needles into people daunting at first. It gets very normal very quickly and virtually no one has problems with it after that first dissection room.

I would not consider it a reason to change your career for, but it is something you'll have to deal with.


I feel seeing the dead not to be as bad as cutting them open because they are supposed to buried aren't they and the thought of it just makes me feel kinds weird and uncopable.
Original post by 08.f.poswal
I feel seeing the dead not to be as bad as cutting them open because they are supposed to buried aren't they and the thought of it just makes me feel kinds weird and uncopable.


Even if it was the patient's wish for you to learn from their body in order to make you a better doctor?
Original post by Hype en Ecosse
Seriously? How do you study anatomy?


Isn't it okay if they just use the dummies rather than a real human body simply because people/students wont feel sick or faint or horrified and they can learn from a dummy, i think anyway because we do use dummy and skeleton at high schools don't we? and its safer as no harm is being done to the dead hence no pain.

rather than pulling out a real human liver in front of our eyes, why can they pull out a fake rubber one or something like that or perhaps use one from the meat shop instead.

after all med students are meant to be clever becasue they need such high grades and tests to get in anyway so Im just wondering why an x-ray and fake stuff and animal organs from the meat shop wouldn't b enough.
Original post by ForestCat
Even if it was the patient's wish for you to learn from their body in order to make you a better doctor?


well... umm... thats something to think about.

I suppose if they are sacrificing their body to be used for tomorrows doctors and want someone else to have a better life than they did is probably a good thinking , however, if I were to observe I would feel I am doing wrong observing.

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