A Data‐Driven Design: Addressing Student Need for an Anatomy Pre‐matriculation Experience

Abstract

The anatomical sciences are a perennial source of angst for recently accepted medical students. This is due to the volume of information presented in a truncated timeline, the fact that anatomy is not a prerequisite for acceptance, and that many students are reticent to interact with human cadaveric material. At Oakland University William Beaumont (OUWB) School of Medicine, the anatomy course is an intensive study of gross, microscopic, and developmental anatomy spanning the first 5 months of the M1 year. During the laboratory sessions, students work in teams to complete a full body dissection, and examine virtual microscopy slides. OUWB students have expressed a desire to learn more about anatomy and the anatomy curriculum prior to matriculation. Course evaluation data from the 2017 cohort (n=125) revealed that 87% of students would have utilized an online resource during the summer prior to their M1 year introducing them to the anatomy curriculum. Open‐ended responses suggested a plethora of topics including an introduction to the course, dissection laboratory, facilities, osteology, and terminology. The faculty are responding by beginning to develop a series of professionally produced, online pre‐matriculation videos. It is intended that exposure to these resources will alleviate student anxiety surrounding matriculation, and their first anatomical dissection experience. To evaluate the longitudinal impact of these videos, students will complete the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory and a demographic questionnaire to compare the responses of pre‐matriculant students. Responses from the 2018 cohort were collected (n = 120), without exposure to the videos, and will serve as a control measure against future cohorts, who will have access to the videos. Future results could serve as a guide for anatomy educators seeking to ease their students' transition into medical school, and facilitate an environment of improved student well‐being.Support or Funding InformationDepartment of Foundational Medical Studies at Oakland University William Beaumont School of MedicineThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.