Are Real Cadavers Better Than Virtual Ones?

Physical cadaver labs are expensive to run. There are biohazards, and it’s costly to create a lab that’s up to modern environmental regulations. There are other compelling reasons not to use physical cadavers, including the fact that it’s difficult to see anatomy like lymph nodes, certain blood vessels, and the pancreas on a physical cadaver. These were the primary motivations for Case Western’s integration of HoloAnatomy into its anatomy program. Students use virtual reality headsets that project 3D models of either the male or female body—according to studies, this has been a relative success.