title: What motivates surgeons to teach dissection anatomy to medical students and surgical trainees?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although a fading tradition in some institutions, having clinicians teach anatomy by whole-body dissection provides a clinical context to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, increasing their depth of learning. The reasons for a clinician's motivation to teach may be articulated in accordance with self-determination theory (SDT). SDT proposes that for individuals to be intrinsically motivated, three key elements are needed: 1) autonomy, 2) competence, and 3) relatedness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight surgeons who were supervisors/facilitators in the anatomy by whole-body dissection course for undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery program and postgraduate students in the Master of Surgery program at the University of Sydney. Qualitative analysis methods were used to code and categorize data into themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study used SDT as a conceptual framework to explore surgeons' motivation to supervise students in the anatomy by whole-body dissection courses. Elements that facilitated their desire to teach included satisfaction derived from teaching, a sense of achievement in providing students with a clinical context, a strong sense of community within the dissection courses, and a sense of duty to the medical/surgical profession and to patient welfare.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The surgeons' motivation for teaching was largely related to their desire to contribute to the training of the next generation of doctors and surgeons, and ultimately to future patient welfare.
authors.affiliation: Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.affiliation: Disciplines of Surgery and Anatomy and Histology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramsey-Stewart
keywords: anatomy; motivation; surgery; whole-body dissection