A shortened, case‐based anatomy course promotes long‐term recall and life‐long learning among medical and physician associate students.

Abstract

Across the country, anatomy courses are becoming shorter, even as residency programs report that entering trainees are poorly trained in anatomy. In response, clinicians, anatomists and education specialists collaborated to design a course that emphasized clinical approaches to problem‐solving. Common clinical cases formed the basis for course content. Traditional dissection labs were replaced with classical, open‐surgical procedures that required students to prepare by scrutinizing actual clinical cases. To explore the anatomy behind the patient's history and physical exam, imaging studies and surgical or medical resolution, we provided students with a highly interactive, web‐based dissector Results include a dramatic improvement in student preparation and participation. Survey and focus group data indicated that students appreciated the clinical approach, but struggled with the demands of a more professional approach to learning. The success of the medical school course led to its adaptation to a course for physician associate students. A test of long‐term recall was administered prior to clerkship training (1.5 years after the medical course; 8 months after the physician associate course). Both groups showed improvement compared to classically taught students. When the same test was administered 1.75 years later, after clerkship training, the improvement of the medical students was even more marked. The data show that a course that uses a functional‐anatomy design can be more effective than a classical anatomy course, despite the fact that it is shortened by a third.