Abstract

JAGUA GUALDRON, Andrés  and  URREGO MENDOZA, Diana Zulima. Colombian medical students' attitudes towards dissection during anatomy classes and their relationship with a score on the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. rev.fac.med. [online]. 2011, vol.59, n.4, pp.281-307. ISSN 0120-0011.

Background. Anatomical dissection of human corpses is a fundamental tool when teaching anatomy, thereby leading to gaining theoretical and emotional knowledge and raising awareness regarding behaviour which could be important in building up the doctor-patient relationship. Objective. Characterising undergraduate medical students' attitudes towards dissection and their relationship with a score on the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE). Materials and Methods. This was a cross-sectional study which used information collected from 5 medicine faculties in Bogotá (Colombia) during the second semester, 2010. The instrument included socio-demographic variables regarding attitudes towards dissection and the JSPE. Prevalence ratios and the pertinent 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results. 904 students were surveyed; their average age in years was 19.4 +/- 2.8 (51.8% were female and 48.2% male). Dissection evoked positive emotions which were related to a greater interest in learning. Average JSPE score was 113.34. Females obtained a significantly higher score (p=0.012). None of the prevalence ratios were significant. Conclusion. Students' attitudes towards dissection were positive in this study and were not related to a score on the JSPE.

Keywords : dissection; medical education; undergraduate; attitude; empathy; MeSH.

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