Commentary: Technology no substitute for cadaver-based medical education

Editor's Note

Although cadaver-based education is far from perfect, medical schools should reconsider eliminating these programs for surgeons and other professionals, first-year medical student Nadir Al Saidi argues in a March 31 commentary in Stat.

“The weight of an actual body beneath your inexperienced hands is as real a preparation for the OR as it gets,” he writes, adding that the loss goes beyond tactile anatomy training. It also erodes a fundamental encounter with death that shapes compassionate, competent physicians. Nonetheless, many institutions, including  Case Western Reserve University and New York University, have eliminated their cadaver programs in recent years.

Virtual reality and 3D visualization tools offer some benefits, but they fall short of the immersive, sensory experience cadaver labs provide, Al Saidi argues. Handling a real body teaches the nuances of human anatomy, from the texture of tissues to the irregularities in organ placement. More importantly, it fosters a respectful understanding of mortality—an essential mindset for future physicians. Technology-based training is a more abstract experience, reducing anatomy to an abstract concept rather than a tangible reality.

Al Saidi acknowledges that the current cadaver-based system is far from perfect. Ethical challenges, such as the controversial use of unclaimed bodies without consent and the unregulated commercial cadaver market, complicate its continuation. Financial barriers also make maintaining cadaver programs increasingly impractical for medical schools. In many cases, limited availability means students only interact with pre-dissected bodies, diminishing the educational impact.

Nonetheless, Al Saidi insists the solution lies in reforming rather than abandoning cadaver-based training. Stronger federal regulations should be enacted to govern body donation, eliminating for-profit exploitation and ensuring ethical standards. Additionally, prioritizing funding for cadaver labs could offset costs, preserving this critical training method. Medical curricula should also deepen students’ ethical engagement with cadaveric work, as seen in programs abroad where students honor donors through letters or poems—a practice that builds empathy and potentially increases donation rates.