Since Hippocrates introduced the scientific method to aid our understanding of the structure of the human body, gross anatomy has remained the quintessence and heart of medical education. In recent years, as a result of progress in science together with improvements in computer technology, the tradition of an anatomical dissection class has been gradually replaced by a number of new teaching tools, namely models and 3D animations. This has resulted in a struggle between the traditional teaching approach and the new teaching methods, which has created a debate about the core values of medical education. This debate has opened up the question as to whether, in the near future, various medical schools will be able to substitute ”advances in multi-dimensional technology” for ”learn to respect life from the study of human cadavers”; furthermore, will medical schools retain ”gross anatomy dissection” as the root and tradition of medical education. This article describes the development and evolution of gross anatomy teaching. We try to collect and discuss the various different viewpoints that are found in the literature, and provide a diverse range of thoughts on human gross anatomy and medical education for the readers.