Pathology Encountered During Cadaver Dissection Provides an Opportunity for Integrated Learning and Critical Thinking

Cadaver dissection engages medical students in active learning, critical thinking, and problem solving. During dissection, students at Sidney Kimmel Medical College are encouraged to document pathologic findings in their cadavers and discuss the findings with their peers. Here, we describe two cases that provided opportunities for integrating anatomy with pathology and clinical medicine. The first case was a benign ovarian neoplasm. This large pelvic mass displaced the urinary bladder and uterus, and compressed the ureters and rectum. Students discussed clinical complications of this pelvic mass and reviewed pathologic findings that differentiate benign from malignant neoplasms. The second case was breast cancer with widespread metastases and pulmonary atelectasis. Students examined the histopathology of breast cancer and discussed mechanisms of tumor metastasis. Pathologic findings and evidence of past surgical procedures are frequently encountered during cadaver dissection. These findings provide a valuable opportunity for integrating the preclinical basic sciences and stimulating the development of critical thinking skills.