Short Practise in Human Body Dissection Benefits Acquisition of the Musculoskeletal System in First Year Medical Students at University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)

Dissection in anatomy teaching is key in medicine; however, a debate is underway about whether it complements well a modern curriculum in the digital era. We aimed to determine whether a short add-on dissection practise facilitates learning of the gross anatomy relative to studying it with just prosection, plastic models, and digital 3D atlases. We tested the hypothesis that dissection, even if brief, benefits both aptitudes and attitudes with respect to anatomy learning. A total of 106 1st year medical students studied the musculoskeletal system with prosection and models and a 3D digital atlas (5 h). Of these, 52 had a further 2 hours self-directed dissection session (a handout was provided with instructions) while the reminder 54 students, who lacked the experience of dissection, formed the control group. Academic grades and student satisfaction were evaluated. The dissection group obtained 10% higher grades in anatomy (F1,51 = 12.71, p < 0.001) and were highly satisfied with the dissection session (Likert scale 0–5, median = 4, IQR = 3.5), also rating the sessions as particularly motivating (median = 4, IQR = 4.4). We conclude that human body dissection, even for a limited time, has a positive impact on human anatomy grades in 1st year medical students, and is valued and motivating.