A student at Istanbul Technical University's Electronics and Communication Engineering program has launched an innovative project called "META-TIP" to transform medical education and reduce cadaver imports in Türkiye, thus contributing to the country's reduction of foreign exchange expenditures.
Hüseyin Durmuş, who played a key role in the "META-TIP" project, revealed that their goal is to bring a "medical revolution" to the field by reimagining anatomy education, which currently relies heavily on cadaver imports from abroad.
Durmuş emphasized the critical role that anatomy education plays in more than 100 medical faculties across Türkiye and the tens of thousands of medical students who rely on this foundation for their future careers. He noted that cadavers are an essential component of anatomy education but that Türkiye faces a significant challenge in this regard.
Comparing the ratio of students to cadavers in Europe and Türkiye, Durmuş explained that while 10 students typically share a single cadaver in Europe, this number rises to 40 in Türkiye. This significant disparity results in higher cadaver imports from other countries, which, in turn, widens the gap between Türkiye's foreign exchange inflow and outflow.
Durmuş outlined the financial aspect of this issue, stating that when faculties import cadavers, they pay fees ranging from $14,500 to $16,000 (TL 407,400 to TL 450,000), which adds to the overall cost. With the "META-TIP" project, their primary aim is to reduce cadaver imports and minimize the economic imbalance created by foreign exchange expenditures.
Mustafa Şanverdi, an intern doctor and student at the Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, provided additional insight into the project's goals. He explained that their objective is to offer 3D cadaver training to medical students, which will overcome the high costs associated with traditional cadavers.
The "META-TIP" project plans to take organs, scan them using 3D scanners, and create a virtual hospital environment in the metaverse. This innovative approach will introduce students to a Virtual Anatomy Education program that provides 3D views of organs.
One of the key advantages of the project is that it allows students to see organs from various angles, making it easier to study structures that are often challenging to visualize, even on traditional cadavers. Şanverdi noted that this project offers an innovative solution to the educational limitations of medical students and has the potential to revolutionize medical education in Türkiye.