Compassionatomy: Can Compassion Contemplative Practices Foster Student Connection with Body Donors and Enhance Empathy in Anatomy Labs?
Medical science educator December 1, 2025 Geoffroy P J C Noel, Federica Klaus, Jenna Tutjer et al.
First-year medical students who participated in Compassionatomy, a program integrating compassion training into anatomy dissection labs, reported a stronger sense of connection with body donors over the academic year. Connection was higher after sessions that included compassion training than after those without it. Greater connection was linked to more positive emotional feelings but not to changes in arousal. Engagement with compassion exercises during sessions increased over time, and students practiced more contemplative exercises outside the lab in weeks following compassion training. Empathy levels remained stable across the year and were similar to those of a previous cohort that did not receive the program.