‘Our student’s first patient’: Why some experts say working with cadavers is necessary

Some American anatomy professors are encouraging Dalhousie students to find different ways to get practical experience in the field after the University of Halifax announced it will not use cadavers this year.

School has temporarily stopped working with donated bodies That’s after the laboratory failed air quality tests over the summer in the Tupper Building on the Halifax campus. FThe formaldehyde levels were higher than allowed in Nova Scotia.

Dalhousie has told students it is relying on videos using skeletal material and anatomical models to teach anatomy this year.

For Jessica Byram, working on her first donor was so intense that she decided to pursue a career in anatomy.

“They will clearly go on to become wonderful doctors,” he said of Dalhousie students. “But I think it’s an experience that students should be able to connect with and understand the effects of being able to take care of someone.”

Byram is now an associate professor of anatomy at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He said there are many schools that no longer work with cadavers primarily because of the cost and the struggle to get enough donors to maintain the program.

Byram said that many in his field argue that students would receive an equal education through alternative learning methods, but he disagrees.

“We always call our donors our student’s first patients,” he said.

“We can dissect the lung of someone who smokes and see evidence of smoking, and seeing the effects of smoking on the lungs is actually a very disturbing, emotional experience. So I think that’s a really worthwhile aspect of the dissection process.”

Derek Harmon is a proponent of technology. He uses 3D printing and virtual reality to teach his anatomy students at Ohio State University.

Still, he said there’s no substitute for the experience of working with a donor.

“Imagine if you had a mechanic who was learning to take a car apart and put it back together. Would you want them to learn it only through a computer interface?” He said.

He said his colleagues have produced some videos that are now being used as teaching tools across North America.

“But I think it helps a lot with memorization and cramming to get the information for the test, and because of that mechanism and how they learn it, it quickly goes out of their mind as they move on to the next thing.”

Rather than relying solely on technology and models, Byram suggested students emphasize surgical rotations in the field so they can get some real anatomy experience.

That way, they don’t miss the nuances of how bodies can vary, such as the branches of blood vessels or the location of specific muscles, he said.

“Being in a lab with a bunch of different donors helps them understand that it’s a little more complex and they’re able to expect variation.”

Byram said the issue of formaldehyde exposure is becoming an important conversation in the industry.

Formaldehyde is used to preserve bodies and help prevent mold. But it is also a known carcinogen.

Byram said some people in the industry are working on new formulas to reduce chemical use, but progress has been slow.

“It’s somewhat tricky because you don’t want to test (new formulas) on a donor just because there’s always a supply and demand issue with the number of bodies you have in a donor program,” he said.

Dalhousie declined an interview request from CBC News this week, but in a letter to students he said he is considering new ways to preserve bodies as an option in the future. It is also considering ways to renovate the laboratory.

It said it tried replacing the existing ventilation system, but further testing also failed to meet Nova Scotia’s acceptable air quality standards.

It will continue to accept donations for the Human Body Program while working on a long-term solution.

Harmon said updated ventilation systems can be extremely expensive, but are a worthwhile investment.

He said there should be a balance between technology and practical work.

“I think these students will also see it as a ‘rite of passage’ that they are missing,” he said.

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