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OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that there is greater benefit in a dissection-based anatomy course among those participants with clinical experience in the relevant field, and those without. DESIGN A retrospective comparative study. SETTING Brighton and Sussex Medical School Anatomy Department: an educational facility that provides undergraduate and postgraduate anatomy teaching using cadaveric specimens. PARTICIPANTS All attendees (n = 40) to a postgraduate course in eye and orbital anatomy completed course evaluation forms. The course has been attended by delegates from around the country, with experience ranging from that of final year medical students to clinical fellows who have completed their specialist training in ophthalmology. RESULTS Those participants who were practicing ophthalmology tended to be older than those who were not, with a greater amount of time spent on prior learning. Participants scored both the prosection-led and dissection-led sessions highly, with a mean combined evaluation of 8.9 (out of 10) for dissection-led learning and 9.2 for prosection-led learning. Prosection-led learning was regarded equally by those participants currently practicing in ophthalmology, and those who are not. In contrast, dissection-led learning was scored higher by those participants who were practicing ophthalmology (9.4), when compared with those not in ophthalmic practice (8.5; p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS The present study supports the hypothesis that the benefits of cadaveric dissection could be maximized during postgraduate surgical training. This has important implications given the trend away from cadaveric dissection in the undergraduate curriculum.