Health professional students often struggle with anatomy coursework despite undergraduate coursework in anatomy. Educators must identify early on whether students may struggle in order to target remediation. The purpose of the study was to elucidate whether an assessment tool administered before the start of a professional anatomy course correlated with allied health students' course performance. Students over four years were given a quiz covering anatomy knowledge they were expected to know upon matriculation to their professional program. A supplemental data form was administered at the course's conclusion to identify prior anatomy experience and topics in which students felt deficient. Pre-quiz scores significantly correlated with examination performance throughout the course. Students reported feeling most deficient in neurobiology (54.9%) and anatomy terminology (39.1%). Videos were created to target these deficient knowledge areas; students who watched the videos did better in course assessments than those who did not. Most respondents (98.0%) recommended students take an undergraduate anatomy course prior to starting a health professional program. These results indicate that a quiz assessing anatomy knowledge among matriculating students may identify students with the potential to struggle in a professional anatomy course early on. Responses outlined areas in which students felt deficient, which allows educators to target topics early with intervention tools such as the review videos in this study. Finally, most respondents strongly recommended undergraduate coursework in anatomy prior to starting a professional health program, which outlines students' recognition that a solid foundation in anatomical knowledge is important to success in professional programs.
Introduction Most professional programs, including those in the allied health fields, require undergraduate anatomy coursework as a prerequisite for admission. However, these courses are often variable in course objectives, content, and difficulty. Despite anatomy serving as a foundational discipline within professional school, there has been little research to determine anatomy preparedness among matriculating professional students. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to determine whether student performance on a quiz given prior to the start of a professional anatomy course, as a measure of students’ incoming anatomy knowledge, correlated with performance in the course. Methods In an IRB‐approved study, occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and physician assistant (PA) students (n=128) enrolled in an anatomy course were administered a 20‐question pre‐quiz prior to the start. It consisted of general anatomy questions that instructors felt students should be able to answer based on knowledge obtained in undergraduate coursework. Kendall's tau correlation analyses were performed correlating student pre‐quiz performance with written and practical exam scores (n=4 each) and cumulative course score. Students were asked to complete a post‐course survey asking them to indicate what knowledge they felt they needed prior to the course from pre‐determined topic choices (e.g. anatomy terminology, neuroanatomy, etc.) or open responses if desired topics were not listed. Results The pre‐quiz scores significantly and positively correlated with all four written and practical exam scores (p<0.05), except for the second written exam (p=0.06). Pre‐quiz scores also significantly and positively correlated with the cumulative course score (p=0.005). We received 59 viable responses (46%) to the post‐course survey. The top four topics that students wanted to review included: central vs. peripheral nervous systems (49%, n=29); anatomy terminology (41%, n=24); basic imaging (41%, n=24); and bones (overall structure, classifications, landmarks; 39%, n=23). Responses differed by program, such as study techniques being the second highest choice for PT students, but not a top choice overall in the cohort. Conclusion This study found that pre‐professional anatomy knowledge significantly correlates with performance in a professional gross anatomy course throughout the duration. This study expands on our previous work, which used a 6‐question pre‐quiz. With the pre‐quiz expanded to 20 questions in the current study, the number of significant correlations with exam performance increased dramatically. Using survey data, we will create videos that review the most requested topics and make them available to students at the beginning of the course. The intention is to increase students’ foundational anatomy knowledge, thereby easing their transition into professional school. We are also expanding this study to professional physiology courses, which also serve as a foundational course. Significance These data identify a correlati...
Introduction Entering medical school can be a stressful transition for students. Similarly, few students have experience in anatomical coursework. To ease this burden, pre‐matriculation programs, particularly focusing on anatomy, have been created at other universities. In 2021, the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) implemented a pre‐matriculation program (termed the Leadership and Academic Development Scholars; LEAD Scholars) targeting under‐represented students in medicine (URiM). Disadvantages resulting in academic performance disparities have been observed at IUSM for URiM students. The goal of this study was to identify medical students’ preparedness for anatomy and determine the impact of this program on diminishing disparities in student success. Methods In an IRB‐approved study, matriculating medical students identified as URiM or demonstrated other risk factors for diminished access to educational resources were invited to participate in the LEAD Scholars program; 25 accepted. The program lasted four weeks prior to the start of the first semester and mostly covered content presented in the first unit of the medical integrated anatomy course. The program concluded with a no‐stakes final exam. Mann‐Whitney analyses compared LEADS with non‐LEADS student performance throughout the integrated anatomy course in the professional curriculum. LEADS students were also asked to complete questionnaires to determine prior anatomy experience and perceived benefits of this experience. Results Only 27% of LEADS students had undergraduate anatomy experience. Prior dissection experience was primarily isolated to individual organs (68%) followed by frogs and fetal pigs (41%), and human cadavers (36%). LEADS students reported feeling equally prepared (36%) and unprepared (36%) for the LEADS program, while 24% felt somewhat prepared. Following completion of the LEADS program, 100% of students recommended taking an anatomy course prior to medical school. Finally, there was no significant difference between the performance of LEADS students and non‐LEADS students in the professional anatomy course for all combined unit exams (n=3) and a cumulative anatomy NBME exam. Conclusion Overall, LEADs students performed equal to the non‐LEADs cohort in the medical program, suggesting success of the LEADs program as traditionally these students struggle academically. LEADs students did not have extensive anatomy experience, with prior dissection experience focusing on non‐human specimens. Following completion of the program, 100% of students recommended taking anatomy prior to medical school, which demonstrates students’ recognition of the importance anatomy experience prior to medical school. Further qualitative analyses will be done on questionnaire and interview data to integrate student perceptions. Significance To our knowledge, this is the first pre‐matriculation program of its kind that attempts to target URiM and academically disadvantaged students entering medical school.
Introduction To our knowledge, no studies concerning anatomy preparedness among allied health students have been conducted. Undergraduate anatomy coursework often introduces students to the rigor of professional school and establishes a base upon which further clinical knowledge will be built. However, undergraduate anatomy courses are not universally available and if available, course content is highly variable. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between anatomy preparedness and performance in a professional anatomy curriculum among allied health students. Methods In an IRB‐approved study, occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and physician assistant (PA) students enrolled in a dissection‐based anatomy course in 2018 and 2019 (n=247) were administered a 6‐question quiz using an online learning management system during the first week of the course. The quiz asked general anatomy questions (e.g. identifying the location of the heart, liver, etc.) in a multiple‐choice format. Overall results from this quiz were correlated with written and practical exam scores (n=4 each) throughout the professional curriculum. Students within these cohorts were surveyed after completion of the curriculum asking what information students wish they knew before starting the course. Students could select pre‐determined topics (e.g. medical terminology, bones, joints, etc.) or write in their own suggestions. Results Pre‐quiz scores significantly correlated with the first written exam scores (p=0.035), but not written exams 2, 3, or 4 scores (p=0.471, p=0.418, p=0.283 respectively). Pre‐quiz scores significantly correlated with the first practical exam scores (p=0.006) and trended with scores for the second practical exam (p=0.063), but did not significantly correlate with practical exam scores from exam 3 or 4 (p=0.849, p=0.239 respectively). We received 72 viable responses to the survey. Over half (54%) of students expressed interest in a review of the nervous system, such as the components of the central vs. peripheral nervous systems. The second most common topic was study techniques (40%), followed by basic neuroanatomy (39%). However, some responses differed based on the program in which the student was enrolled. Conclusions This study found that pre‐professional anatomy preparedness significantly correlates with performance early in a professional anatomy curriculum, but not throughout the duration. It is likely that following the first exam, students were able to identify and overcome weaknesses in anatomy knowledge and/or study techniques in order to succeed. However, these results provide an opportunity to identify students who may struggle early on and allow for directed guidance by instructors. Using the survey data, we will be able to generate videos targeting topic areas in which students felt underprepared, which appears to differ between the three programs. This will hopefully eliminate the gap in basic anatomy knowledge by providing students with a more solid anatomy foundation ...
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