Healthcare delivery is reliant on a team-based approach, and interprofessional education (IPE) provides a means by which such collaboration skills can be fostered prior to entering the workplace. IPE within healthcare programs has been associated with improved collaborative behavior, patient care and satisfaction, reduced clinical error, and diminished negative professional stereotypes. An intensive interprofessional gross anatomy dissection course was created in 2009 to facilitate IPE at McMaster University. Data were collected from five cohorts over five years to determine the influence of this IPE format on the attitudes and perceptions of students towards other health professions. Each year, 28 students from the medicine, midwifery, nursing, physician's assistant, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy programs were randomly assigned into interprofessional teams for 10 weeks. Sessions involved an anatomy and scope-of-practice presentation, a small-group case-based session, and a dissection. A before/after design measured changes in attitudes and perceptions, while focus group data elaborated on the student experience with the course. Pre- and postmatched data revealed significant improvements in positive professional identity, competency and autonomy, role clarity and attitudes toward other health professions. Qualitative analysis of intraprofessional focus group interviews revealed meaningful improvements in a number of areas including learning anatomy, role clarity, and attitudes towards other health professions.

Several studies have shown significant improvements in the attitudes and perceptions of healthcare professional students toward interprofessional education (IPE) immediately following intervention with IPE courses. However, there remains little evidence on the lasting effects of IPE courses and the long-term influences of these IPE experiences are poorly documented. The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term effects of an intensive, ten-week interprofessional gross anatomy dissection course at McMaster University. Attitudes and perceptions of past participants towards interprofessional learning were evaluated, now that they have started working with other healthcare professionals outside of the IPE course setting. Thirty-four past participants who have clinical experience working in interprofessional settings or are currently working in the healthcare field completed a follow-up questionnaire consisting of a modified Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and open-ended questions. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant decrease in their attitude towards teamwork and collaboration and respect for other health professions, but a significant improvement in their understanding of roles and responsibilities compared to their results immediately after the IPE intervention. Qualitative analysis of open-ended questions revealed several themes such as developing interprofessional competencies, developing relationships, and remembering the strengths of the IPE dissection course. The results of this study indicate that the IPE experience in anatomy was highly valued by the students and that past participants maintain a clear understanding of their scope of practice, but the reality of clinical practice may have eroded gains made in the program. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

Interprofessional education (IPE) occurs when two or more healthcare students from different scopes of practice learn with, and from, each other (Gilbert et al., 2010). Due to the growing dependence on interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare systems around the world, IPE is increasingly being recognized as a foundational component of healthcare student training (

Interprofessional learning improves students' clinical and interprofessional competencies. COVID‐19 prevented delivering in‐person education and motivated the development of a virtual interprofessional cadaveric dissection (ICD) course. This study reports on the effects of a virtual ICD course compared to a previously delivered in‐person course, on students' readiness for, and perceptions about, interprofessional learning. Students attending the ICD course in‐person (2019–2020) or virtually (2020–2021) completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS). Students in the virtual course also provided written feedback. Thirty‐two (24 women; Median: 24 [Q1‐Q3: 22–25] years) and 23 students (18 women; 22 [21–23] years) attended the in‐person and virtual courses, respectively. In the virtual cohort, the RIPLS total score (82 [76–87] vs. 85 [78–90]; p = 0.034) and the roles and responsibilities sub‐score (11 [9–12] vs. 12 [11–13]; p = 0.001) improved significantly. In the in‐person cohort, the roles and responsibilities sub‐score improved significantly (12 [10–14] vs. 13 [11–14]; p = 0.017). No significant differences were observed between cohorts (p < 0.05). Themes identified in the qualitative analysis were advantages and positive experiences, competencies acquired, disadvantages and challenges, and preferences and suggestions. In‐person and virtual ICD courses seem to have similar effects on students' interprofessional learning. However, students reported preferring the in‐person setting for learning anatomy‐dissection skills.

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Human cadavers used for surgical training are embalmed using various methods to facilitate tissue storage and longevity while preserving the natural characteristics required to achieve high fidelity functional task alignment. However, there are no standardized means to evaluate the suitability of embalming solutions for this purpose. The McMaster Embalming Scale (MES) was developed to assess the extent to which embalming solutions allow tissues to achieve physical and functional correspondence to clinical contexts. The MES follows a five‐point Likert scale format and evaluates the effect of embalming solutions on tissue utility in seven domains. This study aims to determine the reliability and validity of the MES by presenting it to users after performing surgical skills on tissues embalmed using various solutions. A pilot study of the MES was conducted using porcine material. Surgical residents of all levels and faculty were recruited via the Surgical Foundations program at McMaster University. Porcine tissue was unembalmed (fresh‐ frozen) or embalmed using one of seven solutions identified in the literature. Participants were blinded to the embalming method as they completed four surgical skills on the tissue. After each performance, participants evaluated their experience using the MES. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Domain to total correlations and a g‐study were also conducted. Formalin‐fixed tissue achieved the lowest average scores, while fresh frozen tissue achieved the highest. Tissues preserved using Surgical Reality Fluid (Trinity Fluids, LLC, Harsens Island, MI) achieved the highest scores among embalmed tissues. The Cronbach's alpha scores varied between 0.85 and 0.92, indicating a random sample of new raters would offer similar ratings using the MES. All domains except odor were positively correlated. The g‐study indicated that the MES is able to differentiate between embalming solutions, but an individual rater's preference for certain tissue qualities also contributes to the variance in scores captured. This study evaluated the psychometric characteristics of the MES. Future steps to this investigation include validating the MES on human cadavers.

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a multi-etiologic disability, accompanied by a wide range of symptoms, requiring a variety of therapies, with TMJ reconstruction considered the most severe. TMJ surgery is associated with many morbidities and limitations, especially in the elderly. Previous studies have determined the shape and dimensions of the Condylus mandibulae in children and adults, but a range of measurements in the elderly population has yet to be created. This study aims to establish a range of measurements and the morphology of the Condylus mandibulae in an older population using micro CT. 14 cadaveric Condylus mandibulaes (8 male, 6 female; average age, 83±8.6) were scanned with microCT and measured using Amira 4.1.1 modeling software. The anteroposterior length (LAP), mediolateral width (WML) and height (H) of each Condylus mandibulae was measured from 5 equidistant slices in the coronal, sagittal and axial planes. Additionally, each Condylus mandibulae was measured at its greatest anteroposterior length, mediolateral width and height using digital callipers on the cadaveric specimen. This study is the first to accurately describe the morphology of the Condylus mandibulae in an elderly population. The length and width measurements of digital calliper (10.51 ± 0.87; 18.33 ± 2.35) and corresponding micro-CT (11.46 ± 1.60; 17.62 ± 2.05) both showed high consistency and reliability. Our findings lay the foundation for the creation of an off-the-shelf Condylus mandibulae prosthesis or anatomically shaped Condylus mandibulae scaffold for elderly patients.

Introduction The use of embalming chemicals, techniques, and laboratory practices for educational purposes is not well documented in Canada. While there is a preference for the use of hard‐fixation techniques, soft‐preservation techniques and unembalmed tissue for undergraduate learning, clinical training and research, the choice of tissue state in Canadian institutions remains unknown. Little has been reported on the effects of the introduction of clinical training programs on the choice of tissue state and on the effects that these choices have on human body donation programs. It is hypothesized that embalming procedures and laboratory practices will be highly variable across Canadian institutions, that a higher percentage of donors will be allocated to non‐hard‐fixation methods in institutions with a clinical training program, and that this shift in practices will require an increase in the number of donors needed from human body donation programs. This study aims to assess the use of embalming techniques and laboratory practices for education in Canada and to assess the impact of the integration of clinical training on human body donation programs. Methods An online questionnaire was distributed to 25 institutions in Canada that list an anatomy laboratory on their department website. A descriptive analysis was completed. Results A total of 23 embalming solutions were identified, and laboratory practices like sanitization, mold management, and health and safety measures were highly variable. This study confirmed that in Canadian institutions hard‐fixed donors are preferred for teaching, prosection and dissection, while soft‐preserved donors are preferred for clinical training, and unembalmed donors are preferred for research. Institutions with a clinical training program allocate a higher percentage of their donors to non‐hard‐fixed methods and require a higher number of donors from human body donation programs. Conclusion This study confirms that the embalming procedures and laboratory practices used for cadaver‐based learning in Canadian institutions are highly variable. Furthermore, the introduction of a clinical training program leads to an increased need for soft‐preserved and unembalmed donors. This shift in practices requires a higher number of donors from human body donation programs. Implication This study identifies 23 embalming solutions that can be tested for their efficacy and use in cadaver‐based learning to establish a best practice in embalming. Furthermore, this study sheds a light on the need to investigate the direct effects of clinical training sessions on human body donation programs and provides a perspective on the implementation of creative approaches to maximize the use of each donor received. This study opens a door to collaboration amongst the community of anatomists to establish the best embalming and safety practices to satisfy the need for donors in cadaver‐based learning, while minimizing the strain on human body donation programs.