Critical thinking and integration of anatomy knowledge through longitudinal patient‐based virtual scenarios in a first‐year gross anatomy course

Using human anatomy to apply basic science concepts to the study of medicine enhances student awareness of patient care. First year students at Mayo Medical School participated in solving clinical scenarios while applying their knowledge of human anatomy. The purpose of evaluating virtual patient‐based scenarios in the context of their gross anatomy course was to integrate basic science knowledge and clinical reasoning. The goal was for students to not only better retain the information they were learning in Gross Anatomy, but to develop more global understanding of how to apply this knowledge to the care of patients. Participants included 48 first year medical students. Students were given patient–based clinical scenarios that correlated with the regional anatomy they were studying at that time. Student ability to assess and integrate findings from clinical scenarios was analyzed by systematically reviewing their responses to questions that necessitated integrating clinical reasoning with anatomical knowledge. Additionally, self‐assessment surveys were used to subjectively evaluate their critical thinking and integration skills. Preliminary results show that students feel confident in applying their basic anatomical concepts in solving clinical problems and are developing their ability to relate this information to clinical patient based scenarios. Grant Funding Source: Mayo Clinic