The gross anatomy course: An analysis of its importance

Abstract

The gross anatomy dissection course is a cost-intensive piece of undergraduate medical education that students and professionals alike describe as very important within the overall medical curriculum. We sought to understand more explicitly students' valuation of gross anatomy as an ''important'' course and so developed a quantitative longitudinal questionnaire. Medical students (n 5 124) enrolled in the winter term 2006/2007 gross anatomy course at the Ulm University Faculty of Medicine were surveyed anonymously prior to, in the middle of, and at the end of the dissection course. Subgroups of students expressing rising or falling opinions of course value were identified and correlated with student opinions about the course's ability to convey professional competencies. Fivepoint Likert scales were used for each survey item, which included such standardized instruments as the NeoFFI, BSI, and FBM. The study confirmed that medical students believe dissection to be valuable. Students indicated that participation in the course facilitated acquisition of anatomy knowledge as well as skills related to teamwork, coping with stress, and, to a lesser extent, time management. Students also noted that they developed less empathy than expected beforehand. Significant subgroup differences were observed relative to the competencies of teamwork, stress coping strategies, and empathy, as well as in students' stress levels associated with having to take a dissection course. Our study builds on previous work that has shown dissection courses help students develop professional competencies. The increase in professionalism might be a reason for the generally high value students place on the gross anatomy dissection course, Anat Sci Educ 3:3-11, 2010.

The anatomy of anatomy: A review for its modernization

“…Multimodal methods to teach anatomy and basic principles of surgery have gradually become the most popular options among all medical institutions, including those in the UK as recognized by the General Medical Council (GMC, 2006). Although, dissection still seems to be the favorite method of teaching as well as providing optimal examples of pathology by both students and teachers alike (Pabst, 2002;Holla et al, 2009;Petersson et al, 2009;Bö ckers et al, 2010).…”

Simulation techniques in the anatomy curriculum: review of literature

“…Specifically, the anatomy course has a strong emotional influence on young people who want to be physicians. Knowledge and skills like: teamwork, stress coping strategies, empathy, respect for the human body, theory and practice integration with preparation for clinical studies are taught during the dissection course [9,28].…”

An International Survey of Gross Anatomy Courses in Chiropractic Colleges

“…Dissections in gross anatomy laboratories provided students with opportunities for acquiring important clinical and professional skills. 17 However, utilizing a pre-dissected cadaveric specimen allowed students to visualize anatomic structures and their relationship to other structures on a cadaver without using class time to perform dissections. Chiropractic institutions utilized both teacher-centered anatomic demonstrations and learner-centered dissection in the gross anatomy laboratory.…”

“…8,9 The survey questions were constructed with guidance from the American Association of Clinical Anatomy curriculum for medical schools 10 and from current trends in gross anatomy education. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] This survey included six topic areas: institution, faculty, laboratory course delivery, lecture course delivery, library, and assessment techniques.…”