It is Useful to Use Plastic Anatomical Models in Teaching Human Anatomy ?

The classical method of teaching human anatomy to students is based on the dissection of human cadavers. Nowadays, there are many ethical controversy regarding the use of human cadavers during anatomy courses. In our study we tried to get undergraduate students� opinion about some different techniques of teaching human anatomy, including the utility of plastic models. We introduced in this study 163 students in the first year of their study at the Faculty of General Medicine from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tirgu Mures. The respondents were asked to fill in a 12-item anonymous questionnaire. Based on the answers provided in the questionnaires we divided the 163 respondents into 2 groups: group A comprising 113 (69.32%) respondents who found that the best method of teaching anatomy is cadaver dissection and group B comprising 50 (30.67%) respondents who found that the best method of teaching is not cadaver dissection. Thus, 20 (12.26%) respondents considered that the best method of teaching anatomy is the use of previously dissected and preserved preparations, 4 (2.45%) indicated the use of plastic models as the best method, 24 (14.72%) would prefer 3D techniques of image reconstruction and 2 (1.22%) respondents found that the best method of teaching anatomy is by Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentations. Even though there are still controversial opinions regarding the use of cadaver dissection in teaching and learning human anatomy, especially ethical and psychological ones, cadaver dissection remains the best method of teaching anatomy to undergraduate students in medical schools.