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.
In 2016, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) implemented a standardized curriculum across all nine of its statewide regional campuses. With a significant reduction in the number of in‐class histology lab contact hours, a student‐driven histology question bank was developed in Fall 2017 as an optional, additional learning resource. This ongoing project involves student groups from all nine campuses creating questions and providing peer‐review. It is based on a “pay to play” model wherein the students maintain access to the question bank as long as they continue to submit new questions. Overall student participation averaged 60% throughout the semester, both in submitting questions and taking the practice quizzes. The results of this project suggest the histology question bank is valued by IUSM students and the student‐driven model may provide a means of creating question banks in other areas of study.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
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