The Prevalence and Students' Perception of the Use of Background Music During Cadaver Dissection in Sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND

Cadaver dissection (CD), an age-long method of teaching anatomy, can be emotionally demanding and stressful. However, some researchers have argued that the use of background music (BM) could be a potential stress antidote during CD. This study investigated the use of BM during CD in sub-Saharan African medical schools and students' perceptions concerning its use.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study surveyed 3679 medical students and graduates from 68 sub-Saharan African medical schools. The survey featured questions focused on demographics, music, and CD and was administered online through email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All respondents consented before participating in the survey.

RESULTS

Few respondents (1.73%) indicated their institution uses BM during CD. About half (47.13%) agreed that BM would be beneficial for CD. Some of the respondents (59%) thought BM would make CD "interesting and lively," while 25.7% thought it would be noisy and distracting. All participants who have used BM agreed that it makes CD more engaging and reduces noise during classes ( < 0.001). Participants who appreciate music to a "very large extent" agree that BM can improve learning circumstances during CD, but those who dislike music disagree (63.96%,  < 0.001). About half (52%) of the participants agreed that the use of BM during CD should be encouraged.

CONCLUSION

The use of BM during CD is rare in sub-Saharan medical schools. However, many medical students and graduates with CD experience agreed with its potential to enhance anatomy learning.