Anatomical Sciences Education最新文献

The study of organism structural composition, known as anatomy, is essential in comprehending the intricate arrangements of life and plays a crucial role in medical education and practice. It bridges foundational and clinical disciplines, shaping medical education, and practice. With evolving technology, medical education faces new challenges necessitating pedagogical innovations. This article explores the changing landscape of anatomical education, encompassing teaching methods, and curricular shifts. Advancements in information technology and bibliometrics shed light on anatomy's evolution, yet research on anatomy teaching reform (ATR) remains scarce. This study employs advanced analytical tools like CiteSpace and VOSviewer to uncover research hotspots and frontiers in ATR. By scrutinizing focal points and emerging directions in ATR, this research provides insights into the future of pedagogical strategies and clinical research in anatomy.

Human dissections in the current medical curriculum are conducted using a checklist approach to prioritize the exposure of anatomical structures. In this setting, anatomy educators are labored to enhance their engagement during the dissection. To address this issue, we considered the current medical education pedagogies and identified a novel approach of studio-based learning (SBL) for application in a Human Dissection Workshop. This study aimed to (1) evaluate students' perceptions of SBL, (2) appraise the impact of SBL on anatomical knowledge learning, and (3) interpret the results of a validated questionnaire. Workshop participants were recruited from Year 2 medical students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong from the 2020 and 2021 cohorts. Fifty-one students participated in the workshop (N = 24 [2020], N = 27 [2021]), and 50 of them completed the postworkshop questionnaire rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Nineteen items were validated using a factor analysis. The interpretation of the questionnaire results demonstrated the different learning outcomes of the workshop, which included (1) enhancing students' knowledge and spatial understanding of anatomical structures, (2) strengthening students' appreciation of gross pathologies and clinical relevance, and (3) promoting higher-order thinking skills. To our knowledge, this is the first study to introduce SBL in medical education. The successful implementation of the workshop reflects the promising potential of SBL for enhancing human dissection and supplementing the medical curriculum.

The intersection of religion and science often elicits polarizing views among scientists, though approximately half of American scientists identify as religious. Mounting evidence also supports the role of spirituality in comprehensive patient care. The purpose of this study was to explore the religiosity of faculty who teach in the anatomical sciences at U.S. colleges and universities. Surveys were administered to anatomists through two professional societies. Two-thirds (64.9%, 74/114) of respondents identified as religious, 26.3% (30/114) as atheist, and 8.8% (10/114) as agnostic. Most respondents (64.9%, 74/114) disagreed with the statement, "There is no place for religion and science to intersect." Approximately one in three respondents expressed concern that sharing/disclosing their religious beliefs would negatively affect the perceptions of colleagues (32.5%, 37/114) and students (28.9%, 33/114) toward them. Faculty at faith-based institutions were more open to disclosing their beliefs (p = 0.045), and highly religious individuals were more concerned (p = 0.001). Fewer than one-fifth of respondents 17.5% (20/114) personally experienced mistreatment or discrimination within academic settings due to their religious beliefs. Most respondents held politically liberal-leaning views (71.0%, 76/107). Highly religious individuals were more likely to be politically conservative (p < 0.001). Overall, this study demonstrates that the number of anatomists who identify as religious may be higher than that of other biological disciplines and that mistreatment due to religious views remains a challenge for some in the profession. Continued dialogue regarding the role of religion in professional identity expression may be an important step in mitigating religion-focused mistreatment and discrimination in academic settings.

The reconstruction of two-dimensional (2D) slices to three-dimensional (3D) digital anatomical models requires technical skills and software that are becoming increasingly important to the modern anatomist, but these skills are rarely taught in undergraduate science classrooms. Furthermore, learning opportunities that allow students to simultaneously explore anatomy in both 2D and 3D space are increasingly valuable. This report describes a novel learning activity that trains students to digitally trace a serially imaged neuron from a confocal stack and to model that neuron in 3D space for 3D printing. By engaging students in the production of a 3D digital model, this learning activity is designed to provide students a novel way to enhance their understanding of the content, including didactic knowledge of neuron morphology, technical research skills in image analysis, and career exploration of neuroanatomy research. Moreover, students engage with microanatomy in a way that starts in 2D but results in a 3D object they can see, touch, and keep. This discursive article presents the learning activity, including videos, instructional guides, and learning objectives designed to engage students on all six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Furthermore, this work is a proof of principle modeling workflow that is approachable, inexpensive, achievable, and adaptable to cell types in other organ systems. This work is designed to motivate the expansion of 3D printing technology into microanatomy and neuroanatomy education.

There is a drive to implement inclusive practices in anatomy by adapting curricula and utilizing inclusive language and resources that negate biases. However, to date there is no data regarding student's perception of inclusivity. Therefore, the study aims to investigate anatomy student's opinions on inclusive practices in anatomy education based on the protected characteristics of age, disability, ethnicity, gender affirmation and sex. One hundred and forty-five students completed a questionnaire with 21 Likert-scale and two open-ended questions. Kruskal–Wallis tests compared responses by groups defined by the protected characteristics of the Equality Act (2010). Most students (71.2%; n = 84) agreed or strongly agreed that “improving inclusivity in anatomy education should be educator's priority”. In terms of representation, there was a statistically different response rate from students from different ethnic backgrounds to the statements “there are anatomy educators” (p < 0.001), “images in textbooks” (p < 0.001) and “models in the dissection room” (p < 0.001) “that look like me”. Most students agreed or strongly agreed to statements relating to the protected characteristics of age (70.4%; n = 68), disability (78.6%; n = 77), ethnicity (59.8%; n = 64), gender affirmation (46.3%; n = 46) and sex (51.5%; n = 62). Themes identified relating to improving inclusivity included “reflecting reality”, “teaching the truth”, “the invisibility of women” and the “learning environment”. Students have confirmed that anatomists, as gatekeepers of the knowledge of the human body, should foster inclusive teaching practices that will benefit all students and potentially future patient care.

Fellows completing the Clinical Anatomy Fellowship at Kansas City University assist Anatomy faculty in the Gross Anatomy laboratory, complete robust research projects, and support other departments. The program's positive impact on participants has been reported; however, the impact on individuals interfacing with Fellows has not been investigated. A follow-up, survey-based (Likert scale, multiple-choice, open-ended) study was conducted to evaluate faculty, staff, and student perceptions of the program. Ninety-five percent of surveyed faculty and staff (n = 22) perceived the Fellows as beneficial to students, faculty, and the university (p < 0.05) by acting as role models (95%) and mentors (90%), contributing to educational processes (90%), and reducing faculty work burden (81%) (p < 0.05). Student responses (n = 95) were also positive: 97% perceived interactions with Fellows as beneficial (p < 0.05). A passion for Anatomy (mean, 4.6; p < 0.05) and the opportunity to increase competitiveness for residency (mean, 4.5; p < 0.05) were the most important factors driving interest in the Fellowship (Cronbach's alpha, 0.766). In contrast, diverting a year from the school's curriculum (mean, 4.4; p < 0.05) and delaying clinical experiences (mean, 4.3; p < 0.05) were the most important deterrents (Cronbach's alpha, 0.505). Additionally, the financial investment required by the program is lower than that associated with hiring full-time faculty. Analysis comparing employment of Fellows versus associate-level faculty identified annual net savings of $370,000. Not only does the Fellowship augment faculty and student experiences at the university, but it also allows for substantial cost savings. Collectively, these data are evidence for other health professional institutions to consider adopting a similar program.

The ability to create efficient “mental models” or representations of anatomical structures is crucial for achieving competence in most areas of anatomy. Gesture-based teaching has been recognized to lighten cognitive loads and allow superior mental model creation compared to non-gestural teaching practices. This commentary explores the cognitive basis and possible mechanisms behind this advantage such as (1) reducing visual working memory load, (2) allowing parallel and sequential development of internal representations, and (3) facilitating preferential feature extraction and improved organization of spatial information. We also highlight how information transfer limitations of the gestural medium, interestingly, unveil features and organizational motifs preserved in the “expert's” mental schemas concerning particular anatomical structures. The universal and innate use of gestures in communication, their visual nature, and the ability to break down complex spatial information through sequential steps, all add to the immense potential of this subtle yet powerful tool of hand gestures. As pedagogical practices in the anatomical sciences continue to evolve largely towards technology-enhanced teaching utilizing perceptually richer media, the unique advantages of gesture-based teaching need to be reemphasized.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of integrating ultrasound into undergraduate medical curricula. However, empirical evidence is lacking as to its effect on anatomy learning and related student cognition. Therefore, the present study compared the impact of echocardiography-based instruction with narrated videos on students' understanding of anatomical relationships, as well as the interaction with students' autonomous motivation, self-efficacy beliefs, mental load, and attitudes. Second-year medical students were given the opportunity to enroll in a supplementary booster course about cardiac anatomy. On the base of a randomized controlled trial with a cross-over design, we studied the effect of taking this course on spatial anatomical knowledge. After completing a pre-test (T0), students were allocated randomly to either the echocardiography-based teaching condition (cohort A) or the narrated anatomy video condition (cohort B). Next, participants were crossed over to the alternative intervention. Immediately after each phase in the intervention, students were asked to rate their mental load. Additionally, a spatial anatomical knowledge test, an autonomous motivation scale, and a self-efficacy scale were administered before (T0) and after the first intervention (T1) and at the end of the study (T2). Finally, each student completed a perception-based survey. The study design allowed a comparative evaluation of both interventions at T1, while the cross-over design facilitated the assessment of the most optimal sequencing in the interventions at T2. A total of 206 students participated (cohort A: n = 99, cohort B: n = 107). At T1, no significant differences in the knowledge test and the autonomous motivation scale were observed between cohorts A and B. However, cohort A showed higher self-efficacy beliefs compared to cohort B (p = 0.043). Moreover, cohort A reported higher levels of perceived mental load (p < 0.001). At T2, the results showed that neither sequence of interventions resulted in significant differences in anatomy scores, autonomous motivation, or self-efficacy. However, a significant difference in mental load was found again, with students in cohort B reporting a higher level of mental load (p < 0.001). Finally, based on the perception-based survey, students reported favorably on the echocardiography experience. In conclusion, the hands-on echocardiography sessions were highly appreciated by the medical students. After participating in the ultrasound sessions, they reported higher levels of self-efficacy beliefs compared to the video-based condition. However, despite embodied cognition principles, students in the echocardiography condition did not outperform students in the narrated anatomy video condition. The reported levels of mental load in the ultrasound condition could explain these findings.