Browsing by Author "O'Loughlin, Valerie D."

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    The Education Track PhD Program in Anatomy at Indiana University School of Medicine: A Decade Producing Anatomy Educator-Scholars
    (2018) Brokaw, James J.; Husmann, Polly R.; O'Loughlin, Valerie D.
    In 2008, the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) admitted its first student to a newly approved PhD program focusing on anatomical education rather than biomedical research. The goal of the Education Track PhD program is twofold: (1) to provide students with extensive training in all of the anatomical sub-disciplines coupled with sufficient teaching experience to be fully prepared to assume major educational responsibilities upon graduation and (2) to train students to conduct rigorous, medical education research and other educational scholarship necessary for promotion and tenure. The 90-credit hour curriculum includes coursework in anatomy and other biomedical subjects, education, statistics, and electives. For their dissertation work, the students complete a research project about some aspect of medical education. As of December 2017, the Education Track program had admitted 23 students and produced 10 graduates. Two more students are anticipated to graduate by June 2018. All of the graduates were offered faculty appointments (8 tenure track and 2 nontenure track) immediately upon graduation at major universities and medical schools. Four of the graduates were offered positions at IUSM. Eight graduates have appointments in medical school anatomy departments, 1 in a physical therapy department, and 1 in a physician assistant department. None of the graduates have been in their faculty positions long enough yet to have achieved tenure. During the period from 2009 through 2017, the students and graduates of the program gave 84 conference presentations and authored 47 peer-reviewed publications about anatomy or other aspects of medical education. Thus, in the 10 years since its inception, the Education Track program has successfully produced a small but stable supply of doctoral-level anatomy educator-scholars for a growing academic market.
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    A Foucauldian Archaeology of Modern Medical Discourse
    (2020-09) Azim, Homaira M.; Scheurich, James J.; Brokaw, James J.; O'Loughlin, Valerie D.; Byram, Jessica N.
    Medical education researchers have long been interested in understanding medical professional identity formation and its implications for the healthcare system. Various theories have been proposed to explain identity formation. Among them, Foucault’s discourse theory maintains that it is the discourse of medicine that constitutes medical professional identities. This study deployed a Foucauldian archaeological methodology to analyze the structure of modern medical discourse and establish links between discourse and professional identity formation in medical students. A total of forty-six medical students at Indiana University School of Medicine participated in either individual or focus group interviews. Direct observation of the clinical and educational settings was also performed, which resulted in additional textual data in the form of fieldnotes. Archaeological analysis of discourse was undertaken in three levels of the statements, the discursive elements, and the discursive rules and relations. Results entailed a detailed depiction of the structure of medical discourse including discursive objects and modes of enunciation, discursive concepts, and theoretical strategies related to each object. Discursive objects are things that are talked about in modern medical discourse. This study identified four discursive objects as disease and treatment, the doctor, the human body, and the sick person. Modes of enunciation are the different ways in which people talk about objects of medicine, whereas concepts consist of the notions people draw from when talking about objects of medicine. Theoretical strategies indicate certain positions that people take in relation to the objects of medicine. Rules of formation and conditions of existence for each discursive element were also established. Since Identities are entrenched through language and interaction, developing a systematic understanding of the structure of medical discourse will shed new light on medical professional identity formation. Results of this study also have profound implications for teaching professionalism and medical humanities in medical curricula. Furthermore, as a research methodology used for the first time in medical education, archaeology not only opens new territories to be explored by future research, it also provides an entirely new way to look at them.
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    Implementation of an education-focused PhD program in anatomy and cell biology at Indiana University: Lessons learned and future challenges
    (Wiley, 2015-05-01) Brokaw, James J.; O'Loughlin, Valerie D.; Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, IU School of Medicine
    In 2008, the Indiana University School of Medicine, in collaboration with the School of Education, admitted its first student to a newly approved PhD program in Anatomy and Cell Biology focusing on educational research rather than biomedical research. The goal of the program is twofold: (1) to provide students with extensive training in all of the anatomical disciplines coupled with sufficient teaching experience to assume major educational responsibilities upon graduation and (2) to train students to conduct rigorous medical education research and other scholarly work necessary for promotion and tenure. The 90 credit hour curriculum consists of biomedical courses taught within the School of Medicine and education courses taught within the School of Education, including courses in health sciences pedagogy, curriculum development, learning theory, quantitative, and qualitative research methods, statistics, and electives. To date, 16 students have entered the program, seven have passed their qualifying examinations, and five have earned their PhD degrees. Four students have received national recognition for their educational research and four graduates have obtained faculty appointments. Going forward, we must adapt the program's biomedical course requirements to incorporate the new integrated curriculum of the medical school, and we must secure additional funding to support more students. Overcoming these challenges will enable us to continue producing a small but stable supply of doctoral-level anatomy educators for a growing academic market.
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    Remembering Our Past: Teaching the History of Anatomy at Indiana University
    (2022) Brokaw, James J.; Azim, Homaira M.; Bendinger, Jonathan E.; Byers, Kelsey T.; Dufeau, David L.; Hanson, Danielle C.; Organ, Jason M.; O'Loughlin, Valerie D.
    Most students pursuing careers in anatomy or related disciplines have a limited understanding of how, over the centuries, the intricate structure of the human body came to be known. To provide students with the relevant historical perspective, we developed a team-taught survey course in the history of anatomical sciences—including gross anatomy, histology, neuroanatomy, and embryology—from antiquity to the present. Taught entirely via Zoom during the Spring semester of 2021, History of Anatomy (2 semester hours credit) met once per week for approximately 2 hours. Enrollment consisted of 5 undergraduate students majoring in Biology (2), Human Biology (2), or Anthropology (1), as well as 3 graduate students pursuing either a master’s degree in Clinical Anatomy (1) or a Ph.D. in Anatomy Education (2). Three of the students had no prior coursework in anatomy. Through assigned readings, lectures, and discussions, the class explored the work of the great anatomists and their discoveries. A particular emphasis was placed on the evolution of anatomy as a discipline and the cultural influences, scientific controversies, and ethical dilemmas facing its practitioners. Syllabus topics included critical appraisals of the role of gender, race, and ethnicity in anatomical discovery. A key feature of the course was the opportunity for students to engage in robust discussions about such controversial issues as: Eurocentric biases in our understanding of human anatomy and the untold story of Muslim contributions to anatomical knowledge well before Vesalius; Competing claims of priority for who “discovered” the pulmonary circulation; The underappreciated role of women in the history of anatomy and medicine; The ethical quandary of teaching anatomy from archival fetal specimens obtained before the era of informed consent; Accusations that famed anatomist William Hunter used the bodies of murdered pregnant women to create his anatomical atlas of the gravid uterus; Complicity of Eduard Pernkopf and other Nazi-era anatomists in the unethical use of executed victims to obtain images for a renowned anatomical atlas. All students were assessed through weekly homework (written responses to study questions), a mid-term writing assignment, and a term paper about an historical topic of the student’s choosing. Graduate students had the additional requirement of a class presentation about their term paper topic. The end-of-course evaluation suggested that the course was well-received by the students (mean Likert score = 4.63 on a 5-point scale; n = 6). Based on this positive reception, we plan to offer History of Anatomy again on a recurring basis. We believe that by knowing our history, both the good and the bad, future practitioners of anatomy and related disciplines will be less likely to perpetuate the biases and ethical transgressions of earlier eras.
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    Visual literacy in anatomy
    (2016-07) Barger, J. Bradley; O'Loughlin, Valerie D.; Brokaw, James; Estell, David; Mescher, Anthony
    All branches of anatomy (gross anatomy, histology, neuroanatomy, and embryology) involve significant amounts of visual identification. Understanding the spatial relationship and visual representations of anatomical structures forms the basis for much of anatomy education, particularly in laboratory courses. Students in these courses frequently struggle with the visual aspects of identification, and many lack the metacognitive awareness to identify this problem. The research presented here details a series of experiments designed to elucidate the factors involved in students’ difficulties with studying the visual aspects of anatomy. All of the research projects discussed involved surveying students about their specific study habits. Student populations surveyed include first-year medical students and undergraduates in anatomy, physiology. These populations were surveyed about their study habits in each course, and their level of familiarity with visual learning. Additionally some populations were given a mental rotation test to assess their spatial abilities. These survey data were then correlated with course grades in an effort to determine the most successful study strategies. Active learning approaches (including student-produced drawings) were most strongly correlated with high course grades. However, efforts to teach lower-performing students active learning skills did not produce significant results, possibly due to the lack of a metacognitive component in this instruction. The results of each project indicate a lack of good study skills among students at all levels of anatomy instruction, and highlight the need for more instruction in how to study for anatomy, including metacognitive awareness, especially focused on the visual aspects of the course.