Medical Students Are Learning Anatomy From Digital Cadavers: Can Technology Ever Replace Real Human Bodies?
As medical education embraces cutting-edge technology, anatomy classes are undergoing a dramatic transformation. Across the United States, students are increasingly encountering digital cadavers—highly detailed, interactive 3-D reconstructions of the human body—accessible through screens, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. These tools offer novel educational experiences that differ significantly from traditional physical dissection, raising an important question: can technology ever fully replace real human bodies in medical training?
A New Frontier in Anatomy Education
Imagine a human chest as large as a room filling your entire field of view. With a few commands, it can be scaled down to a tiny model and then restored to life-size. Virtually “peeling back” skin and muscle layers reveals muscles contracting and organs breathing, all explained by hovering text projected through a VR headset. Such immersive experiences have become increasingly common as medical schools adopt digital cadaver platforms.
One example is the Anatomage Table, a large, high-resolution touch screen displaying detailed 3D human body models reconstructed from frozen cadavers imaged in thousands of thin slices. At Jacksonville University in Florida, occupational therapy professor Sandra Brown uses these digital cadavers exclusively for teaching anatomy. “In a way, the dissection is brought to life,” she says. “It’s a very visual way for [students] to learn. And they love it.”
Other innovations build on this concept, such as the Asclepius AI Table developed by Surglasses, which integrates AI-powered virtual assistants that respond to voice commands, pull up supplementary images, and quiz students interactively. At Yale Medical School and elsewhere, students access 3D anatomy models on personal devices, further personalizing the learning experience.
The Advantages of Going Digital
Digital cadavers offer a range of benefits that complement or sometimes surpass what is possible with physical dissection. Students can rotate and zoom models in any direction, even viewing organs from angles impossible to replicate with fragile real cadavers. Mistakes can be undone instantly, enabling an errorless exploration process. This flexibility caters to the digital-native generation comfortable with touchscreen interfaces and virtual environments.
Moreover, VR can immerse students inside anatomical structures. For instance, New York University’s virtual reality program allows learners to “stand” inside the human heart or explore tiny, intricate spaces like the pterygopalatine fossa—a complex cavity between the cheek and nose—without damaging delicate tissues as physical dissection would. These immersive perspectives offer a “new dimension of interaction” that deepens understanding of complex anatomy.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, VR proved especially valuable for remote anatomy learning as students donned headsets to engage with floating holographic bodies right from their homes.
The Irreplaceable Elements of Real Cadaver Dissection
Despite the impressive capabilities of digital tools, many educators and students emphasize that real human cadavers still play a critical role in medical training. For centuries, physical dissection has provided not only anatomical knowledge but also lessons in professionalism, respect for human life, and the emotional experience of confronting mortality.
William Stewart, associate professor of surgery at Yale University, highlights the “gestalt” nature of learning through dissection—the integration of multiple senses, including touch and even smell, in a communal setting around the anatomy table. “The more and more of those senses you take away, the less and less you learn,” he asserts. Tactile experiences, such as feeling the texture and resilience of tissues, are difficult to simulate virtually yet vital for future surgeons.
Medical students like Ezra Feder at Mount Sinai acknowledge the educational benefits of technology but question whether exposure to death and human fragility through cadaver dissection carries lessons that transcend functional knowledge. “Is there something beyond just the functional learning of dissecting a cadaver?” he wonders.
Looking Ahead: A Hybrid Future?
Given the strengths and limitations of both approaches, many expect a hybrid model will persist, combining digital and physical tools to maximize learning outcomes. Digital cadavers provide accessible, flexible, and visually rich platforms that accommodate varying learning styles and expand opportunities beyond the limitations of cadaver availability. Meanwhile, real dissection grounds students in the tactile, emotional, and ethical dimensions critical to medical practice.
As medical schools continue innovating, the evolution of anatomy education exemplifies how technology can revolutionize learning while reminding us of the profound connection between healthcare professionals and the human body—one that no screen alone can fully replicate.
Published November 21, 2025
By Serena Jampel
Science Correspondent, Smithsonian magazine
