Does anyone know of a medical school that does not use cadavers?

Question

I heard that cadavers are being taken out of the curriculum in some medical schools. Is this true?

Answer 1

Yes, some schools are no longer using dissection to teach Gross Anatomy. Google the term "Plastinated Specimens" and you will get hits from different med schools that are using them.

Just to clarify some of the misinformation posted in response to your question--med students don't learn to do autopsies. Nobody learns to do surgery by dissecting cadavers. And you don't learn any diseases or conditions from cadavers.

Personally, I think dissecting cadavers is the best means of learning anatomy. But I have to admit, the argument for doing away with it does have some merit, as it is possible to learn anatomy without dissecting cadavers. Many med students have never seen a cadaver and they are making excellent physicians.

Answer 2

Many medical students 'slide by' doing as little dissection as possible in anatomy lab.

If a person has a big enough issue that they won't go to medical school because they have to learn with cadavers, then perhaps that person should re-consider their career choice.

Answer 3

Anatomy Pathology and Forensic medicine are taught using only cadavers. So cadavers are compulsory in a medical school.

Answer 4

I have not heard this and I certainly can't imagine why. How are medical student to learn to do an autopsy? learn the placement of organs? Learn what diseases look like? Learn how the whole kit n' kaboodle works?

The donation of cadavers is necessary to medical teaching.

Answer 5

not every school uses cadavers frankly they are in short supply, as people generally opt to donate their organs to others, not their bodies to science.

There are artificial replacements that are proving to be just as effective, but you still have to have real world experience. Fortunately a first year surgical med student has to be chaperoned for his first few years out in the world.

Answer 6

there are schools that not use cadavers but if you whant to be a good doctor the best way is to practice,no?

Answer 7

That would be too scary to consider. I mean, would you like to be the patient needing your gallbladder out and learning their doctor never cut into a human body before?
I don't think Star Trek- type surgery is going to be possible in our life time.

Answer 8

Good question. I don't know of any schools. The school that I go to still uses them.

Answer 9

not that I am aware of. Don't worry, aside for the smell of formalin, the dissections aren't that bad.

Answer 10

Why it is better to start desensitizeing early on.