One corpse, two perceptions: Confrontation of sub-Saharan Africa versus French medical students’ attitudes toward autopsy related beliefs

Summary Dissection of a human cadaver is a particular rite of passage for medical students and, for a large majority, constitutes the students’ first confrontation with a dead human body. This process can be the subject of various reactions and concerns depending on the sensitivity of each student, due to the cultural beliefs of the individuals concerned. In order to highlight these variations of work related to personal traditions, the experiences of two groups of medical students from Benin and France in the autopsy room were surveyed via a questionnaire. Similarities and differences relating to behaviours and concerns of the physical and spiritual realms are then discussed.