Dissection vs Prosection vs Anatomage

What are these terms?

Dissection - This is the classic medical school method to teach anatomy. It is still offered at many universities, including Cambridge, Oxford, King’s, and UCL. It involves having 8-10 students per cadaver for the entire year, and you will learn anatomy through a mixture of lectures and dissecting your cadaver together.

Prosection - This is using pre-dissected sections of the cadaver shown to you by a demonstrator. There will often be many specimens of the different muscles/nerves/arteries to see.

Anatomage tables - This is a very modern way of learning anatomy through interactive tables and undertaking virtual dissections. Many other universities also offer interactive 3D models alongside their dissection and prosection also. There are offered at the University of Sunderland and the University of Central Lancashire. Plymouth also offers these as a part of their anatomy teaching.

Pros and Cons:

How to answer this as an interview question?

• Mention that you know this university teaches anatomy through XXX method (whichever method you used)

• Pros and cons of anatomy

• Pros and cons of prosection

• Mention knowledge of the Anatomage table (unless at an Anatomage university in which case expand this fully with pros and cons)

• Draw a conclusion - which should be that the type of anatomy teaching offered by this university is the best

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