The dead still teach the living: Body donor dissection in the digital age of anatomy education

Abstract

Donor‐based dissection has become increasingly contested in modern medical curricula as digital anatomy platforms, simulation technologies, virtual dissection tables, three‐dimensional reconstructions, and artificial intelligence‐supported learning have expanded. Reduced curricular time and logistical constraints have encouraged some institutions to reduce or replace dissection‐based anatomy teaching. This shift raises a central educational question: What does dissection contribute to anatomy learning that cannot be reproduced by other methods? This article examines donor‐based dissection from an anatomy‐education perspective. It argues that its value should not rest on tradition, nor be judged solely by examination performance. Its educational significance lies in the multiple dimensions of learning it uniquely supports: three‐dimensional spatial reasoning, recognition of anatomical variation, tactile and manual understanding of tissue planes, regional and topographical orientation, integration of structure with clinical relevance, and the development of professional identity and donor respect. Digital anatomy and artificial intelligence can enrich anatomy teaching by improving visualization, accessibility, and repetition. However, these tools present anatomy in a standardized, cleaned, and immediately visible form. Donor‐based dissection exposes students to the body as layered, variable, and sometimes ambiguous—an encounter that cannot be fully replicated digitally. A six‐phase hybrid model grounded in experiential learning theory is proposed: digital pre‐laboratory orientation, donor‐based or prosection‐based exploration, imaging correlation, clinical case reasoning, guided professional reflection, and post‐laboratory digital consolidation. In this framework, digital tools prepare and reinforce learning while dissection remains the central embodied experience. Donor‐based dissection therefore remains indispensable as a carefully structured component of an integrated anatomy curriculum.