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Medical gross anatomy: conversion of a traditional discipline‐based course to a briefer and more clinically focused foundational module in a revamped preclinical curriculum (532.1)
Author(s) -
Davies David,
Malak Sharp,
Jensen Joseph,
Akhter Noor,
Beneš Helen,
Childs Gwen,
Daniel Joseph,
Hayes Helen,
Kandavalli Naveen,
Phelan Kevin,
Stanley Laura,
Syed Mohsin
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.532.1
Subject(s) - gross anatomy , likert scale , curriculum , dissection (medical) , medical education , medical physics , medicine , psychology , pathology , radiology , pedagogy , developmental psychology
Here we report ongoing work to replace discipline‐based courses with foundational and system‐based modules in a new curriculum. As part of this effort, a new Human Structure module was designed to teach clinically relevant anatomy as a basis for subsequent courses. Multiple steps were employed to achieve these goals. Specifically, course duration was decreased from 19 to 8 weeks, instructional time was trimmed 25% (168 hrs to 125 hrs), scheduled lab sessions were cut 40% (45 labs to 27 labs), and embryological topics were moved to other modules. Clinical lectures were increased 57% (7 hrs to 11 hrs): 11 radiologists and surgeons contributed lectures, led case discussions, and/or worked in the dissection laboratory. Five clinical case studies and four histology lectures were also added. Three outcomes gauge the effects of these changes. On a customized NBME final exam, students achieved a mean score of 87.6% ± 7.4 (STD, n = 172). Students evaluated the course with an online survey as 4.44 ± 0.85 (Likert Scale, 5 = outstanding). Similarly, student evaluations of 19 instructors yielded a mean score of 4.38 ± 0.78. Informal faculty assessment indicated that student participation, performance, and morale were equivalent to that in the traditional gross anatomy course. Grant Funding Source : Supported by: UAMS Dept. of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences.