QUOTED: Cadaver dissection in residency

[NotAProgDirector]

I matched into program 8/10 on my PM&R rank list, which must be unheard of.

I've been trying to get over the undesirable location, call schedule, lack of prestige, etc. when I learned that this program also has a back and arm cadaver dissection once a week for a few months during PGY-2.

I never liked the cadaver dissection as a medical student. But at my school doing the dissection was optional, and you could easily observe the prosections to pass the exam.

How do I get out of this as a resident without failing? I have a personal and moral objection to dissecting cadavers.

If it's a required part of the program, then you have to do it. I'm assuming you didn't know about this before the match, else you might not have ranked it. You can ask the PD if it's "required" or if you could do something else instead.

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[Doodledog]

I believe that it would be necessary to explain to the PD the specific nature of your objection. You will need to clarify why the dissection of a cadaver, donated for that purpose with full consent by the person who will be dissected after their death, would be morally objectionable to you. Then, you'd need to convince the PD that you will undertake learning that would substantively replace what you are not getting through that training.

 

[FruitFly]

I believe that it would be necessary to explain to the PD the specific nature of your objection. You will need to clarify why the dissection of a cadaver, donated for that purpose with full consent by the person who will be dissected after their death, would be morally objectionable to you. Then, you'd need to convince the PD that you will undertake learning that would substantively replace what you are not getting through that training.

Some religions are against autopsy. Folks of all religions perform them, but some wish to adhere to those rules.

 

[Rendar5]

Some religions are against autopsy. Folks of all religions perform them, but some wish to adhere to those rules.

As a cohen, I'm not allowed to touch dead bodies either. I was careful to avoid direct contact when i did anatomy my first year. But it happens. Luckily I'm not religious enough that I tried to forgo the whole experience since it was educational. Then I found out later from some OJ friends of mine, that there are laws that allow Cohens to do so since it leads to saving lives in the end. Not sure if that's your situatin, but if it is you could talk to a rabbi about it. I'm not sure about other religions though.