Sergio Andrés León-Ariza; Juan Manuel Calero Canaval; María Camila Barrero-Camargo; Jose Antonio Hernández-Vera & Roberto Javier Rueda-Esteban

Cadaveric dissection and prosection have been proposed as pedagogical tools that foster meaningful learning, clinical skills, and empathy in health science students. A mixed-methods, cross-sectional observational study was conducted with medical students in an anatomy course at Universidad de los Andes to assess perceptions of different teaching methods: dissection, prosection, demonstration of dissection, and their combination. A total of 96 valid responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and thematic qualitative analysis. The combined dissection–prosection modality was the most frequently reported (54.2%), while dissection alone showed the highest descriptive mean scores in most evaluated dimensions. The dissection-only group showed the highest approval levels (100 %) in teacher respect and empathy development. The most frequently reported emotions were curiosity, respect, excitement, and awe, located in the high-activation positive quadrant of Russell’s circumplex model of affect. No statistically significant differences were found between groups, although positive correlations emerged between enjoyment, anatomical identification, and perceived learning. These findings support the use of active methods such as dissection and prosection in anatomy education, and that these approaches not only enhance structural understanding but also promote respect for the human body and the development of affective competencies. Expanding student participation and strengthening faculty guidance during cadaver-based sessions are recommended to optimize the educational experience.

LEÓN-ARIZA, S. A.; CALERO, C. J. M.; BARRERO-CAMARGO, M. C.; HERNÁNDEZ-VERA, J. A. & RUEDA-ESTEBAN, R. J. Dissection, prosection, and holistic learning: Medical students’ experiences and emotions in the use of cadavers for the study of human anatomy. Int. J. Morphol., 44(4):1174-1181, 2026.