East Coast Versus West coast: Medical Student’s Anatomy Lab Experience

Objectives Anatomy labs are traditionally taken as first operation room of medical students where future doctors make their first incision. Although, some new medical school are not dissection based but they implement many proactive pedagogies to make anatomy learning an interesting, interactive, engaging and exciting experience. We looked into similar teaching methodologies of two US medical schools : Florida International university‐COM and California University of Science and Medicine‐SOM. The objective of this study is to compare the student’s perception of anatomy lab teaching strategies of two medical schools based on student’s end of the course evaluations and final grade Methods we developed a collaboration between FIU‐COM and CUSM‐SOM anatomy faculty to share the curriculum, evaluation comments and performance of medical students after completion of Anatomy course. We are in the processes of getting exempt from IRB. The study data will include students feedback comments on teaching strategies and their final grade average for the course. Results As a result of our collaboration, we reviewed the Course curriculum, evaluation comments and performance of medical students after completion of anatomy course between 2 universities. FIU curriculum is discipline based in year 1 and system based in year 2. The lectures are mostly didactic, and labs are led by the instructors. The teaching methodologies in lab include: a checklist of objectives, the identifications on plastic models, plastinated specimens and prosected cadavers. Students learn the structures and confirm their understanding of the anatomy with facilitators. During the discussion, facilitator review the high yield structures to the whole group using the DOC‐cam projector. CUSM‐SOM has a system‐based curriculum that is built on the active learning, student centered teaching strategies. Classes are mostly teams‐based and flipped classrooms. The labs are mostly student‐centered with multiple stations that student rotate every 20–30 min. One lab of 4 hours typically have 6–8 stations. Various aspects of anatomy of the same parts are learned at each station. These include: the gross anatomy specimens, embedded quizzes on specimens, videos, radiology images, hands‐on ultrasound experience and application questions. Final data analysis of the variables will be done after obtaining IRB exempt. Conclusion The student evaluations from two different school’s anatomy lab teaching methodologies will hopefully identify the most effective teaching strategies that is most received and accepted by the students of this era. Collaborative efforts can improve anatomy lab teaching and student learning.