Anatomical Sciences Education最新文献

Rural regions face disproportionately high healthcare workforce shortages, driven in part by limited exposure to health sciences and minimal awareness of healthcare career pathways. This study evaluated whether introduction to anatomy and pathology content, delivered by medical students, could increase rural high school students' interest in these subjects and in pursuing healthcare careers. A one-group pretest-posttest preexperimental study was conducted with rural South Dakota high school students enrolled in mandatory biology courses. Weekly lessons covering anatomy, pathology, and related physician specialties were delivered live by medical students in-person, hybrid, or online. Students could request topics of personal interest. Unpaired pre- and postsurveys measured changes in anatomy and pathology interest, healthcare career interest, and postgraduation plans. Of 168 presurvey respondents, 155 completed the postsurvey. Reported prior anatomy exposure significantly increased from 33% to 50% (χ² = 8.84, p = 0.0029). Average anatomy and pathology interest increased slightly (6.43 to 6.52, p = 0.74), while healthcare career interest rose minimally from 44% to 46% (p = 0.84). Postgraduation plans showed no significant change (χ² = 0.339, p = 0.844). Qualitative feedback reflected strong engagement, enthusiasm for hands-on activities, and perceived personal relevance. Although the program significantly increased reported anatomy exposure and generated strong engagement, measurable changes in subject-specific or career interest were minimal. An anatomy and pathology-focused intervention is unlikely to influence workforce trends on its own but may serve as a feasible, well-received foundation for more sustained or broadened rural healthcare pipeline initiatives.

Histology and pathology education is evolving, driven by the integration of digital microscopy with other technological advances. Gaining insight into the impact of this transition, while understanding the perspectives of both students and educators, is important for improving teaching practices. This includes mapping teaching methods, digital learning tools and assessment strategies in digital or blended learning environments, and exploring interactions between students and educators. This scoping review investigated how the integration of digital microscopy into histology and pathology education, and a shift to digital and blended learning, has impacted teaching and learning practices. Five databases were used in the search (PubMed, EMBASE, ERIC ProQuest, Web of Science, and Scopus), resulting in 98 included articles. The literature indicated that teaching methods have become more accessible, interactive, and student-centered than traditional instruction. Thirty studies described digital learning tools with digital microscopy, which were used by educators for teaching and by students for independent studies. Image-based quizzes and formative feedback for self-evaluation were frequently reported assessment methods. The lack of physical interaction between students, peers and educators was reported to be a disadvantage of digital learning. Several studies identified blended approaches as a possible solution to maintain accessible digital teaching while preserving valuable student-educator interactions. This review discusses the findings within a broader perspective, identifies opportunities to enhance the learning experience for educators and medical students, and addresses diverse needs to guide the future development of digital learning tools.

Anatomy educators are increasingly seeking approaches that honor the humanity of body donors while supporting learners through their first encounters in the gross anatomy lab. We describe a comprehensive donor meeting session, implemented in both dissection and prosection curricula at two North American medical schools, that prepares students to engage with donors before formal content-based learning begins. Grounded in the six principles of trauma-informed practice-safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration; empowerment; and inclusivity-the session prioritizes relational and humanistic engagement over technical preparation alone. Learner reflections and faculty observations indicate that this model promotes emotional readiness, mitigates distress, and cultivates gratitude and humanism. We offer this framework for anatomy educators aiming to create supportive, donor-centered learning environments that shape both professional identity and future patient care.

Teaching neuroanatomy presents multiple challenges to both students and teachers, as it is a subject with highly dense content that commonly causes the development of aversion by students, a phenomenon referred to as "neurophobia," which has been documented in human and veterinary medicine students. Concurrently, fixed parts of the nervous system are difficult to obtain and are highly fragile; therefore, constant maintenance and replacement of these parts are necessary. Additive manufacturing, also called three-dimensional (3D) printing, is an increasingly popular technology with multiple applications, including its use for the production of affordable, safe, durable, low-maintenance, and eco-friendly anatomical biomodels to reduce and replace the use of cadavers in anatomy teaching. This study aimed to describe the production process of three different biomodels of the dog brain analogous to biological models-namely, a six-part detachable color-coded biomodel, a transparent brain with the ventricular system highlighted inside, and a scaled-up isolated ventricular system biomodel. Biomodels present a good anatomical definition, are easy to manipulate, and allow for a different approach for visualizing the spatial relationship between the brain structures and the path of the cerebrospinal fluid through the ventricular system that transcends the simple reproduction of dissected cadaveric parts. These biomodels can be integrated with both traditional and alternative teaching methods, potentially reducing the occurrence of neurophobia and dependence on cadaver use.

The shortage of body donors remains a challenge for anatomy education in South Korea, despite growing public awareness. This study investigated sociodemographic, attitudinal, and experiential factors associated with willingness to donate among Korean adults. A total of 204 individuals aged 19 years or older completed a structured questionnaire on knowledge, perceptions, and willingness regarding body donation. Overall, 44.8% expressed willingness to donate, while 55.2% reported no willingness, with the most common motivation being contributions to medical advancement (83.9%). Logistic regression revealed a significant association with religious affiliation (overall p = 0.047), as individuals reporting no religion demonstrated markedly lower willingness than Protestants. Lower income and lower educational attainment were also associated with higher willingness to donate. No significant associations were found for sex, age, marital status, occupation, or self-rated health. Willingness to support a family member's donation was strongly associated with personal willingness (p < 0.001), whereas concerns about family grief or bodily integrity were not significant. Only one-third of participants had encountered publicity on body donation, and 69.6% perceived current promotional efforts as insufficient. These findings suggest that psychological and cultural factors-particularly religion, socioeconomic position, and familial attitudes-may exert greater influence on willingness than demographic characteristics alone. Targeted education and outreach addressing these factors may be essential to increase donation rates and ensure a sustainable supply of donated bodies for medical and healthcare education.

It has not happened yet, but it may be just around the corner: the development of thanabots, digital representations of deceased persons created by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and their adoption as educational adjuncts for students in anatomy education. To equip anatomy educators with information to allow them to assess this new technology, this article provides an overview of thanabot technology, together with practical and ethical considerations regarding their use in anatomy education. The new term "thanatobot" describes thanabot use in this hypothetical application. For instructive clarity, this thought experiment is limited to thanatobots trained on donors' medical records and supported by anatomy education software. If used, potential benefits might include enhancing learning via linking medical history to anatomical findings and clinical reasoning through personalized teaching assistance. They may support professional development by facilitating humanistic engagement and illuminating donors as people rather than objects. However, their use produces significant risks, including known adverse psychological effects. Thanatabots may inadvertently reduce donors to inauthentic digital proxies, paradoxically harming humanistic engagement, and negatively impacting learning outcomes. AI errors associated with generated content may hinder accurate learning, while cultural sensitivities around engagement with the dead may be violated. Further issues include identifying appropriate operational thanatobot parameters, ethical data management, concerns around appropriate consent, and a lack of legislative oversight. Any responsible educational use of thanabots in education must carefully explore their psychological and social impacts. Ethical, cultural, and pedagogical challenges around thanatobot development should be critically examined prior to any incorporation into anatomy education.