Survey on the demand of sicilian physicians for a specific training on human cadavers and animals

Currently, surgical training of physicians in Italy has limited possibilities.Surgical training can be performed on dissection of human bodies as well as in animal laboratories, but experience is very poor. We conducted a survey through an anonymous questionnaire in order to evaluate the opinions of post-graduate physicians on their need for experience training on both human and animal bodies during their medical studies. A total of 165 young Sicilian physicians responded to the survey. Only 14 of them (8.5%) declared they had specific training on a live animal, while 46 (27.9%) reported they already attended cadaver labs. Over 70% assigned the maximum score to the utility of such courses as integration of medical academic offer. Our results showed that the majority of the subjects interviewed expressed a need for training using these practices and that it might be necessary to investigate patterns to promote the opportunity for direct practice on human and animal bodies.