Matriculating Students’ Opinions on Cadaveric Dissection: Maintaining Tradition in Changing Times

As medical education advances, cadaveric dissection is no longer the sole modality to teach anatomy. In light of this, there is limited data regarding how incoming medical students perceive the importance of cadaveric dissection and whether they continue to desire the experience as they consider matriculating to medical school. Surveys were sent to incoming first-year medical students concerning their views of death and dissection. Our data show a strong and temporally reproducible opinion that cadaveric dissection is important among incoming medical students. This survey also reviews the predominant emotional reactions generated in anticipation of the cadaveric dissection experience.