155 - Infusing medical humanity in anatomy education through body donation program

Poster Board Number: 155
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

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Abstract Body :Medical humanity should be integrated into the teaching and learning throughout the medical curriculum rather than just taught in lecture halls. At the University of Hong Kong, the core anatomy curricula are cadaver-based education enabled by the HKU Body Donation Program. The anatomy classes make a perfect platform for integrating medical humanity and professionalism education throughout the pre-clinical phase of the healthcare-related program, as it is within the anatomy labs the students have their first encounter with the real human body and the direct exposure to life and death.A respect ceremony takes place during students' initial anatomy lab, featuring sharing sessions by teachers, clinicians, or donors' families. Students and teachers honor the body donors' selfless sacrifice with a moment of silence and discuss the importance of the donation program, ethical considerations, and the responsibility to treat donated bodies respectfully. A closing ceremony will be held at the last dissection sessions towards the end of the second year to commemorate the great body teachers and their contributions to society beyond the boundary of life.Throughout the pre-clinical years, ethical issues, medical professionalism, and doctor-patient relationships are integrated into problem-based tutorial group discussions. Various medical humanity activities are organized, including guest lectures, Body Donation Day Expo, anatomy outreach events, and life and death education.In collaboration with clinical departments, NGOs, religious groups, and healthcare providers, interdisciplinary workshops on life and death, palliative care, and advanced care planning are conducted. Students from different disciplines come together to explore life and death through discussions, art, movies, field trips, and reflection.Through the Body Donation Programme, medical humanity education is infused into students' early medical careers. These experiences help students gain a deeper understanding of the human body, improve their clinical knowledge, and cultivate ethical and humanistic values vital for compassionate patient care.