Augmenting the learning of anatomy beyond the traditional laboratory experience through service teaching of elementary school students: A Medical Student Perspective

Abstract

Anatomy Academy (AA) is a novel project aimed at providing elementary school students a unique learning experience of the human body while nurturing their scientific curiosity in small group sessions. Each organ system‐based session was led by a pair of medical and undergraduate students who led interactive discussions using anatomy organ models and hands‐on activities to present applicable scientific concepts. For medical students, this provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate and deliver anatomy and physiology concepts learned through lecture and laboratory in the pre‐clinical medical school curriculum. In contrast to the passive, memory‐based education acquired from lectures and textbooks, teaching served as an effective resource for active learning that was reliant on deeper, intelligent understanding and creativity. As future physicians, medical students also benefitted from acquiring skills necessary to lead successful teams and communicate effectively with individuals of a broader range of educational backgrounds. Both mentors and mentees benefitted from AA.Grant Funding Source: The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and the UCLA Monica Salinas Fellowship