From Sacrilege to Privilege: The Tale of Body Procurement for Anatomical Dissection in the United States

Anatomical dissection remains an integral part of most medical schools’ curricula, and in order to meet their educationalneeds, schools turn to a mixture of donated and unclaimed bodies. However, the procurement of bodies foranatomical dissection has not always been a simple task. The history of the cadaver supply in the United States, asin many other countries, is a story of crime, punishment, and legal dilemmas. The method by which medical schoolsobtain cadavers has affected not only anatomists and medical students, but all members of society. Methods of procurementthrough the centuries have been able to change only along with concurrent changes in societal perceptionsof death and dissection. An appreciation of this history and these societal changes may benefit students in theirstruggles to come to terms with how their cadavers were obtained and how society has granted them the privilegeto dissect a fellow human’s body

The History of the Hippocratic Oath: Outdated, Inauthentic, and Yet Still Relevant

Nearly all medical schools incorporate some form of professional medical oath into their graduation ceremo- nies. The oldest and most popular of these oaths is the Hippocratic Oath, composed more than 2,400 years ago. In modern times, especially during the twentieth century, the Hippocratic Oath has had its content changed and its authorship challenged. This article discusses the history of the Hippocratic Oath from its traditional form to its modern adaptations. Additionally, this article seeks to explain the Hippocratic Oath’s endurance despite these challenges, based upon the historical importance of Hippocrates and the Hippocratic tradition in Western medicine.