In Praise of Selflessness: Students Expectations of an Anatomy Laboratory Experience

Abstract

Body donation is viewed as a selfless act on the part of the donors and their families which benefits the training of Health Sciences students for the future good of society. Most anatomists view the use of human bodies, which is made possible by donation, as the cornerstone for acquiring anatomical knowledge. In this context, our study investigated undergraduate health sciences students' expectations of the anatomy laboratory experience at a South African University. Over 600 of the 1381 students enrolled in anatomy courses for the degrees of medicine, dentistry and allied health sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa during 2016 and 2017, completed a voluntary survey (Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) Clearance no. M160219). The survey included an open‐ended question asking students about their expectations of the anatomy laboratory experience. Thematic analysis was used to identify major and minor themes emanating from the student responses. The major themes identified from the 464 responses to the question were: an expectation to learn and better understand the anatomy of the human body, the value of visualizing structures linked to practical learning and hands on experience, as well as the authenticity of dealing with human remains. Minor themes which emerged were the importance of the knowledge gained for future clinical careers as well as the acquisition of academic and personal skills. Additionally, students acknowledged the sacrifice of the body donor and their families in their contribution to the students' learning of anatomy. The laboratory experience and the use of human bodies was valued by the students for supporting and deepening their learning of anatomy and was viewed as enriching. Some students perceived the experience as an essential aspect in the preparation for their future careers as health sciences professionals. Support or Funding Information No funding was received for this project This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .

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