Ethical views, attitudes and reactions of Romanian medical students to the dissecting room

• Published in: Revista medico-chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti din Iasi Vol. 118; no. 4; p. 1078
• Main Authors: Bob, M H, Popescu, Codruţa Alina, Armean, M S, Suciu, Soimita Mihaela, Buzoianu, Anca Dana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Romania 01-10-2014
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological - ethics; Adult; Anatomy - education; Anatomy - ethics; Anxiety - psychology; Attitude; Cadaver; Dissection - ethics; Dissection - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Romania; Students, Medical - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Romania
• ISSN: 0048-7848

Our objective was to evaluate the attitudes and views of first year medical students towards cadaver dissection in anatomy learning and discuss various findings in relation with ethical problems).
The study was conducted at the "Iuliu Hat ieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, during the academic year 2012-2013 at the end of the second semester. There were 121 first year medical students included. We developed a questionnaire to asses among other, the degree of fear, anxiety and stress in the dissection room, methods of coping, ethical aspects of dissection and hand it to the students.
34.7% of students experienced different levels of fear on exposure to the dissection room practical sessions. Many students experienced anxiety in reaction to dissection. In the first semester most students reported physical and behavioral reaction towards certain stimuli, with a decrease in the second semester. Recurring visual images of cadavers, reported by 57% of students in the first semester, dropped to 44.6% in the second semester. Students used most frequently the "rationalization and emotional detachment" as a coping method.
Anatomists, most often the firsts who need to be aware of emotional and ethical issues, need to explain in detail the steps necessary for dissection and that dissection is performed with the respect of legislation, ethics and human rights.