Cadaver Dissection Experience for First-Time Dissectors: a Hypothetical Three-Pronged Approach for Student Preparation.

This systematic review synthesized evidence for the development of a preparatory process for first-time dissectors, geared toward improving cadaver dissection (CD) experiences. Eleven studies focused on pre-CD intervention were selected from a literature search in PubMed, the Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC), Google Scholar, PsycNET, and the Cochrane Library. A three-pronged preparatory process was formulated for first-time dissectors based on the evidence from the review. The process includes (1) background assessment; (2) pre-CD education; and (3) gradual exposure and desensitization. The preparatory process shows some hypothetical potential for decreasing negative CD-related experiences, but it still needs validation before implementation.

Institutionalizing Open Science in Africa: Limitations and Prospects.

The advancement of scientific research and raising the next-generation scientists in Africa depend largely on science access. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused discussions around open science (OS) to reemerge globally, especially in resource-poor settings like Africa, where the practice of OS is low. The authors highlighted the elements, benefits, and existing initiatives of OS in Africa. More importantly, the article critically appraised the challenges, opportunities, and future considerations of OS in Africa. Addressing challenges of funding and leadership at different levels of educational, research, and government parastatals may be pivotal in charting a new course for OS in Africa. This review serves as an advocacy strategy and an informative guide to policymaking and institutionalization of OS in Africa.

Validation of the fear of the COVID-19 scale in Nigeria: Implications for public health practice.

OBJECTIVE: The fear of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a wide range of health-related attitudes and behaviours worldwide. However, within an African population, it is not clear how the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic may be particularly important for formulating public health policies and their consequent implementation. As a first step, it is important to validate a psychometrically sound instrument to assess the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic using an African population. This study presents a preliminary validation of the fear of the COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) using a sub-Saharan African population from Nigeria. METHODS: Three hundred and eighty-nine people responded from a total of 1000 invitees. The participants were requested to fill a web-based (Google forms) FCV-19S questionnaire. The responses, together with their socio-demographic data, were analysed using descriptive statistics and a confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: The age of the participants ranged between 21 and 30 years (mean 25.84 years). The study participants comprised 220 males (56.6%) and 169 females (43.4%). The factor loadings of all seven items of the FCV-19S questionnaire reached statistical significance and, therefore, were retained. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the two-factor structure of the FCV-19S questionnaire was a better fit for the Nigerian subpopulation under consideration. Cronbach's alphas for both subscales were acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The FCV-19S is a valid, suitable, and effective tool for the African population. Additionally, the implications of its use for public health practice in Africa are essential.

Covid-19: Emerging Considerations for Body Sourcing and Handling. A Perspective View from Nigeria.

The current Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has spread to about 220 countries of the world and has resulted in a significant number of deaths globally. Infections are still on the rise, and the impact on the global death rate could be devastating. There are fears over the likely impact of a large number of deaths on body sourcing and handling of cadavers for teaching and research. Historically, epidemics come with several challenges and have often led to some level of negligence of ethical practices and health and safety regulations associated with body sourcing and handling. The authors highlighted some emerging problems in this article, focusing on Africa and Nigeria in particular. These problems include a higher risk of coronavirus exposure for body handlers, shortage of cadavers for teaching and learning, a lack of standard regulations leading to unethical body sourcing and handling, and a lack of monitoring and collaboration needed for a well-coordinated Covid-19 pandemic response strategy. If these issues are ignored, the previous gains made in anatomical ethical practices may be destroyed. Some useful recommendations for policymaking geared toward prevention or curtailing these emerging issues have been instilled in this article.

Determining the anatomy of anatomy educators.

OBJECTIVE: The growing shortage of anatomy educators along with inconsistencies regarding their educational qualifications has become a major global concern for medical education. The purpose of this study is to assess the dynamics of anatomy educators in Nigeria with respect to their general characteristics, qualifications, teaching experience, and research focus. METHODS: This study was conducted on the participants of the 16th Annual Conference of the Anatomical Society of Nigeria held at the University of Calabar, Nigeria in 2019. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and analysed as frequencies and percentages using Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: Out of 84 faculty members, 56 (72.4%) participated in this study; 68% of the participants were men and 32% were women. A maximum of 27 faculty members belonged to the '31-40 years old' age group while only 5 belonged to the '51-60 years old' group. Twenty-five (45%) faculty members had a Ph.D. in Anatomy and all the non-Ph.D. holders (97%), except for one, aspired for a higher degree in Anatomy. The research interest with the highest frequency (n = 29; 52%) was in neuroanatomy and neurosciences. Over half of the respondents (n = 31; 55%) worked in federal universities, 16 (29%) in state universities, 4 (7%) in private universities, and only 5 (9%) were employed in allied institutions. CONCLUSION: Anatomy professionals in Nigeria are mostly middle-aged and mid-career individuals. Most of them have master's degrees while only a few hold PhDs and have little to no postdoctoral experience. The research focus was concentrated on some areas of anatomy. This study reveals the urgent need to address the training and research gaps in the field of anatomy.

The symptoms and stress experienced by medical students in anatomy dissection halls.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to the dissection of human cadavers is a stressful experience that causes a wide range of symptoms among medical students. This study examined the symptoms experienced by newly enrolled medical students of a Nigerian university following their first exposure to cadavers. METHODS: During the academic years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, we conducted a survey among 87 second-year medical students who belonged to the Nile University of Nigeria. A self-administered questionnaire that assessed different symptoms and the Appraisal of Life Events (ALE) Scale were used to collect data. RESULTS: The participants obtained mean scores of 6 out of 30 (20.33%), 16 out of 30 (55.50%), and 5 out of 20 (26.15%) on the threat, challenge, and loss dimensions of the ALE Scale, respectively. When they were exposed to the cadaver, a majority of the students reportedly felt not only curious and excited but also anxious. Additionally, they reported experiencing symptoms such as palpitations, difficulty breathing, nausea, and feeling faint and dizzy. In order to alleviate such feelings, most of the students focused on the task at hand (i.e. dissection), engaged in religious activities, tried to relax, or sought the help of their lecturers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that, even though their first exposure to a cadaver was stressful, the students were resilient. The students appraised this experience positively and had taken efforts to cope with their symptoms. This is unlikely that stressful feelings pose negative influence on the medical students during their study in anatomy dissection hall.