557 A Novel Peer-Led Anatomage-Based Teaching Programme for Medical Students

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Anatomical knowledge is an essential part of surgical practice. However, its delivery lacks a standardised approach across medical school curricula. A student-led anatomy programme was implemented at a single institution, using near-peer teaching and Anatomage virtual dissection. This study aims to describe the methodology of this programme and determine the benefit of a near-peer taught anatomy course. Method The programme was organised by senior medical students, utilising Anatomage virtual dissection and techniques in line with Bigg’s constructive alignment. Attendees were asked to complete questionnaires with Likert scales (0-10) and open answer text to determine learners’ benefit. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are presented. Results 73 students attended eight sessions from January to March 2020. Students reported a statistically significant (p < 0.01) increase in confidence after the sessions of 3.74±1.83. The quality and relevance of the teaching also scored highly (9.32±0.89 and 9.47±0.86 respectively). Qualitatively, students praised the "informal learning environment”, the structure of the sessions, the handout provided, and the interactivity of anatomage technology. Conclusions This study demonstrates how virtual dissection technology and near-peer teaching can derive significant benefit to undergraduate students, in line with previously published data.