Browsing by Subject "anatomy education"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    First patient project: Engaging pathology through the donor dissection experience and its role in professionalism
    (Wiley, 2024-01) Robertson, Kyle A.; Organ, Jason M.; Yard, Michael; Byram, Jessica N.; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
    The peer-reviewed anatomical education literature thoroughly describes the benefits and drawbacks of donor dissection. Gross anatomy laboratory environments utilizing donor dissection are generally considered to be a premier environment where students foster non-traditional discipline-independent skills (NTDIS), including the acquisition of professionalism, empathy, resilience, emotional intelligence, and situational awareness. Therefore, this IRB-approved study explored the impact of a formal humanism and pathology thread, the first patient project (FPP), on the personal and professional development of pre-professional undergraduate students in a gross anatomy dissection-based course. Five reflections from each student were collected across four cohorts (n = 74 students, 370 reflections). A post-course questionnaire collected data on student perceptions of the project. The framework method was used to analyze reflection and free response data and descriptive statistics were performed on Likert-style items using Excel. Three themes were identified to encompass the impacts of the FPP on professional development and include: Socialization (through collective dissection experience and pathology), Humanistic Qualities (respect for the donor and their history, and introspection), and Content and Skills (technical and NTDIS, anatomical knowledge). The end of course FPP survey was completed by 29 students across three cohorts (65%) and their perspectives were generally favorable regarding the promotion of respect, empathy, and humanization of their donors. This study underscores the value of incorporating humanism, pathology, and reflection, facilitated through formal curriculum for pre-professional undergraduate students. It provides evidence of the positive impact on their personal and professional development, supporting the integration of NTDIS in curricula across various disciplines.
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    How are our Undergraduate Students Doing? Exploring the Emotional Impact of Human Donors in Undergraduate Anatomy Education
    (2024-04-26) Shafer, Anna; Dunham, Stacey M.
    INTRODUCTION: The use of human cadavers (donors) in anatomy laboratories is a common experience for many future healthcare professionals. For undergraduates taking anatomy, this may be their first introduction to human cadavers, and for many students their first experience viewing a deceased person. Students exhibit a variety of reactions to this experience. Previous research has focused on student experiences in undergraduate medical education. This study explores student reactions to donors in undergraduate education. STUDY OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to ascertain students’ emotions and reactions to the donors in the laboratory classroom setting and to identify coping mechanisms that students used within this learning environment. Understanding these student experiences will provide insight to educators as they work to accommodate student needs and understand the emotional impact of human donor use in undergraduate education. METHODS: The participants of this study included students who completed a 5-credit hour, 200-level human anatomy course between Fall 2021 through Fall 2023. The laboratory uses two prosected donors that the students observe throughout the semester. Students are required to identify structures on the donors for the muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. Students do not have the opportunity to touch the donors; instead, instructors in the course demonstrate structures to small groups of students, and students can practice identifying structures during open study periods. Three of the four laboratory exams include identification questions on the donors which are approximately 25% of each exam. Students who were currently enrolled in the course, as well as those who were previously enrolled, were invited to participate in the study via the university’s learning management system. Students completed an anonymous survey that asked questions related to their individual experiences in the anatomy laboratory. The survey was hosted on Qualtrics and completed by participants electronically. The study was approved by Indiana University IRB #21296. RESULTS: A total of 326 surveys were completed. For 88% of students, this was their first exposure to human cadavers. Students described feeling excited, nervous, frightened, awed, shocked, and hesitant upon first seeing the donors. Only 22% of students somewhat or strongly agreed with the statement, “I believe using humor is an appropriate coping method for working with the donors.” When asked if they “would have benefitted from knowing more information about the lives of the donors,” 30% of students responded they either somewhat or strongly agreed. Students frequently described reminding themselves the donor was previously a living being as a coping mechanism. Many students also discussed the importance of eating before lab. CONCLUSIONS: While the initial exposure to human donors in the anatomy laboratory can be an unsettling experience for students, anatomy educators can accommodate their students' emotional needs by using appropriate instruction methods. This can provide a positive learning environment and potentially result in an improvement in students’ performances within the course as well as future anatomy education.
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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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    Pre- and post-examination reflections of first-year medical students in an integrated medical anatomy course
    (Wiley, 2024-01) Cale, Andrew S.; Hoffman, Leslie A.; McNulty, Margaret A.; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
    Due to the rigor and pace of undergraduate medical anatomy courses, it is not uncommon for students to struggle and fail initially. However, repetition of coursework places an additional burden on the student, instructor, and institution. The purpose of this study was to compare the exam preparation strategies of repeating and non-repeating students to identify areas where struggling students can be supported prior to course failure. As part of their integrated anatomy course, first-year medical students at Indiana University completed a metacognitive Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI) assignment prior to and after their first exam. In the PBLIs, students were asked to reflect on their exam preparation strategies, confidence, and satisfaction, as well as their predicted and actual exam performance. PBLI responses from non-repeating and repeating students were then analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. A total of 1802 medical students were included in this study, including 1751 non-repeating and 51 repeating students. Based on their PBLI responses, non-repeating students were appropriately confident, somewhat satisfied, and more accurate when predicting their exam performance. Repeating students were overconfident, dissatisfied, and inaccurate when predicting their first exam performance on their initial, unsuccessful attempt but were more successful on their second, repeat attempt. Qualitative analysis revealed that repeating students aimed to improve their studying by modifying their existing study strategies and managing their time more effectively. In conjunction with other known risk factors, these insights into repeater and non-repeater exam preparation practices can help anatomy educators better identify and support potential struggling students.