Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The importance of autopsies in medical education is multidimensional. In accordance with the existing medical curriculum in India, forensic medicine is a subject taken up during the second year of the MBBS, and undergraduate students of medicine are expected to witness a minimum of 10 autopsies during the third to fifth semesters. This research analyses the perceptions of medical students towards medico-legal autopsy teaching and its significance at one medical institution in India. A total of 450 MBBS students participated in the study and submitted their responses to the predesigned semi-structured 20-point questionnaire on autopsy viewing and its relevance in general. The obtained data were analysed statistically using SPSS software. More than 75% of students agreed that they could appreciate the actual morphology and pathological changes in the human organs. There was a positive response from 54.9% students, who affirmed that autopsy helped refresh and improve their knowledge of human anatomy. More than 60% students agreed to have gained understanding of clinical–pathological correlations and became acquainted with death certification. The majority of the students (53.6%) agreed that autopsy postings made them mentally and emotionally stronger. The present study provides useful evidence regarding the perceptions of medical students towards autopsy teaching, and intends to highlight the utility of autopsies in enhancing the knowledge of medical students and its significance in the medical education curriculum.

Keywords

Autopsies anatomy death pathology forensic medicine

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Anders

Mueller

Sperhake

et al . Autopsy in undergraduate medical education – what do students really learn? Int J Legal Med 2014; 128:1031–1038.

Felipe-Silva

Ishigai

Mauad

Academic autopsies in Brazil – a national survey.

Rev Assoc Med Bras 2014; 60:145–150.

Waheed

Mengal

Sapru

et al . Autopsy as a part of curriculum: student’s perceptive. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2011; 23:105–109.

Benbow

EW.

Medical students’ views on necropsies.

J Clin Pathol 1990; 43:969–976.

Khoo

JJ.

Perceptions of medical students towards autopsy as an educational tool.

J Contemp Med Edu 2014; 2:57–62.

Ekanem

Akhigbe

KO.

Attitudes of Nigerian Medical Students Towards Autopsy. Turk J Med Sci 2006; 36:51–56.

Lauder

Auditing necropsies.

BMJ 1991; 303:1214–1215.

Yadav

Quality of forensic medicine education need for proactive approach and reforms by the MCI. J Indian Acad Forensic Med 2015; 37:4–7.

Ioan

Neagu

Manoilescu

et al . Utility of autopsy in medical education – students’ opinions and attitudes. Rev Med Chir Soc Med Nat Iasi 2014; 118:801–807.

10.

Wang

Zhu

et al . A survey study of military medical students to autopsy in modern medical education. Sci Res Essays 2011; 6:6666–6670.

11.

De Villiers

FPR

Ruhaya

Students’ opinions on autopsy and death.

S Afr Fam Pract 2005; 47:47–50.

12.

Horowitz

Naritoku

WY.

The autopsy as a performance measure and teaching tool.

Hum Pathol 2007; 38:688–695.

13.

Madadin

Assessment of knowledge about, attitudes toward, and awareness of a Forensic Medicine course among medical students at the University of Dammam.

J Forensic Legal Med 2013; 20:1108–1111.

14.

Turnbull

Martin

Osborn

The death of autopsy?

Lancet 2015; 386:2141.

15.

Bamber

Quince

TA.

The value of postmortem experience in undergraduate medical education: current perspectives. Adv Med Educ Pract 2015; 6:159–170.

16.

O’Grady

The Breakfast Club: case study of a teaching-autopsy curriculum.

Med Teach 2004; 26:377–378.

17.

Menezes

Nayak

Binu

et al . Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) in forensic medicine: students’ point of view. J Forensic Leg Med 2011; 18:347–349.

18.

Talmon

The use of autopsy in preclinical medical education: a survey of pathology educators.

Arch Pathol Lab Med 2010; 134:1047–1053.

19.

Burton

Underwood

Clinical, educational, and epidemiological value of autopsy.

Lancet 2007; 369:1471–1480.