Evaluating the Impact of a Dedicated Dissection Course on 3‐D Anatomical Understanding in Senior Medical Students

Stubley, Thomas and Wooding, James and Marshall, Janice and Stephenson, Robert S. and Katti, Karuna (2026) Evaluating the Impact of a Dedicated Dissection Course on 3‐D Anatomical Understanding in Senior Medical Students. Clinical Anatomy. ISSN 0897-3806

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Abstract

International changes in the focus of medical school education have led to a decrease in the time allocated to anatomy education, with human specimen dissection particularly affected. This study evaluates whether a dissection‐based course facilitates the retention of three‐dimensional (3‐D) anatomical relationships in senior medical students who previously completed anatomy training without dissection. Fifteen year 4 or 5 medical students, who had completed preclinical anatomy instruction and 1 or 2 years of clinical training, were competitively selected to undertake a Clinical Anatomy Intercalation programme that included a 16‐week full body human specimen dissection course. Participants completed four assessments administered before, midway through, at the end, and 1 month after the dissection course. Each assessment had 24 questions based on six prosection images representing major body regions. Half of the questions assessed anatomical identification, while the reminder evaluated 3‐D understanding of anatomy. A post‐course Likert scale questionnaire captured participants' perceptions of dissection as a learning tool. Overall test scores improved across the first three assessments, with questions relating to 3‐D anatomical understanding showing a statistical improvement with each sequential in‐course test. No statistically significant difference was observed between end of course and one‐month post‐course tests, indicating knowledge retention. Performance was significantly lower in head and neck anatomy compared to thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic regions (p < 0.001). Likert scale questionnaire responses indicated strong participant support for dissection as an education tool. This study demonstrates that a dissection‐based anatomy course significantly enhances 3D anatomical knowledge gain and supports retention, which senior medical students can apply in clinical practice. Participants highly valued the experience, suggesting that dissection is still a vital component of medical education.