Student Generated Structure Lists: Bringing Self‐Directed Learning into the Anatomy Laboratory

Self‐directed learning (SDL) opportunities are a necessary component of medical education and identified as an approach to developing lifelong learning skills. The anatomy laboratory is one place that SDL can be incorporated in the medical curriculum. This study examined the content generated by a group of approximately 40 first year medical students in a yearlong human gross anatomy course. Students were required to generate their own anatomy structure list based on the instructions provided in the class dissector. Structure lists were to indicate the anatomical structures to be identified in the day's dissection. This required students to thoughtfully and carefully review the dissection instructions for the lab procedure prior to attending the laboratory session. Rather than simply list the structures, students were asked to classify structures into primary, secondary, and tertiary groups and provide an explanation for their chosen organizing principle. Organizing principals used by students included: size based divisions, clinical relevance, body systems, and locations. While some students consistently exhibited principles of self‐directed learning in the work submitted, the lack of a grade based assignment led other students to submit work of limited value in preparing for the dissection. Support or Funding Information This study was not funded.