Technology-led teaching of anatomy: does an absence of cadavers increase accessibility to the new medicine course in North Wales?

Historically, the study of anatomy has been taught often using cadaveric material. However, there has been a gradual shift towards teaching anatomy using technology. I want to know whether technology enhanced educational methods may increase accessibility for medical students in North Wales, as without the option of teaching anatomy using technology, the introduction of the medical school may have faced additional challenges in opening its doors. This includes a focus on the sociology of emotions, and education.

By combining medical sociology, the sociology of education, and the sociology of emotions, I shall be assessing the potential impact from students learning anatomy through the Anatomage table (AT) at Bangor University.

By researching the use of technology-enhanced methods in teaching anatomical studies to future doctors, this research aims to understand the benefits and limitations of virtual dissection, when compared to the traditional method of teaching using human cadavers.

This approach will provide an understanding of the impact increasing local accessibility to medical courses can have on Welsh students. Bangor University may have faced challenges in opening their medical school without the ability to replace cadavers with the AT, therefore this may serve as a tool that increases accessibility for local students.

By focusing on the sociology of education, mainly the hidden curriculum, and sociology of emotion, I will be addressing how medical students are impacted from their anatomy education when learning from different methods.

The methodological approaches I have chosen are semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, and survey data collection. The three sites I am conducting data collection at are Bangor University, who teach anatomy using a virtual dissection table, as well as Swansea University and Cardiff University, who teach using cadavers.