ARTICLE #2 | 27
ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE CULTURAL BELIEFS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS ON
THE CADAVERIC DISSECTION IN GROSS ANATOMY
study had shown that mature students like ours were less stressed
overall compared to other students (Evans and Fitzgibbon, 1992).
However, these were British students whose age corresponds
to our traditional students’ age when entering medical school
(Evans and Fitzgibbon, 1992). Thus, more studies need to be
conducted before ruling maturity in or out as a factor that affects
the experience of dissection. In the present study, males showed
more positive experiences than females in appraising dissection.
In the literature, gender differences have also been reported in
the dissection room where 48% of female students, compared to
34% of the male students, indicated that they preferred observing
rather than actually performing a dissection (Plaisant et al., 2011).
In addition, female students tended to show higher levels of mental
distress (Böckers et al., 2012). A study by Druce et al., showed a
negative association for men but a positive association for women
with previous experience with death and reaction in the dissection
room (Druce and Johnson, 1994). The question is: Is gender the
underlying factor for this correlation, or is it the effect of previous
exposure to death? This question is still pending as well, for studies
around the topic are still contradictory. Previous experience with
dead bodies and death was correlated with students being more
upset in the dissection room rather than more comfortable as would
have been assumed (De Horne et al., 1990; Evans and Fitzgibbon,
1992). However, a study conducted in a South West Nigerian
Medical school, 50% of students reported that prior experience with
a dead body helped them develop coping mechanisms (Oyeyipo
and Falana, 2012).
Personality traits are another potential factor in the dissection
experience. A study conducted among French medical students
found that a relationship existed between personality traits and
attitudes towards the dissection room. Subjects completed a
personality inventory and a questionnaire assessing their attitudes
to human dissection. Feelings of curiosity were strongly correlated
with personality traits of extraversion, energy, and enthusiasm. The
rated level of anxiety was positively correlated with personality
traits of negative affectivity (Plaisant et al., 2011). A valid question
for further investigation would be to correlate the personality trait
differences with the gender differences.
Limitations
The findings of this study may have limited ability for generalization
to other institutions in the US or beyond because of the small
sample size. This cross sectional study could be complemented by
a longitudinal study over 3 years in the same university with a larger