A simple interactive teaching aid for medical undergraduates studying the brachial plexus

Abstract

In an era where the methods and time dedicated to the teaching of human anatomy are changing within medical curricula worldwide it behoves anatomists to devise alternative strategies to effectively teach the discipline to medical students. Most medical curricula would necessitate that students learn the innervation of the upper limb and therefore would be expected to understand the concepts of root values, trunks, divisions, cords and branches of the brachial plexus. In order to aid this process the author has designed a very simple teaching aid that has had universal student approval. The model, constructed from perforated pin board, wood and coloured wires, is designed to be an adjunct to prosection or dissection-based practical classes, tutorials and didactic lectures. The aim of this short paper is to describe this teaching aid and its value in transmitting important anatomical concepts to medical undergraduates. The usefulness of the model is not restricted to medical teaching but may also prove valuable in anatomical studies undertaken by paramedical disciplines and science students.