Development of an In‐Person Dissection Based Learning Environment for Medical and Dental Gross Anatomy Students during a Pandemic

Abstract

Human anatomy is complex and best understood through hands‐on dissection in the laboratory. Faced with the daunting task of adapting to the constraints brought on by the pandemic, a team of current and past course directors, while under extreme and fluid circumstances, designed systems to allow for a dissection based, in‐person curriculum for large student groups (220 medical and 105 dental) while maintaining a safe environment. Through immeasurable hours of deliberations, numerous unique and novel changes were instituted. Tank teams of students (6 medical & 4 dental) were assigned to rotating pairs of dissection or review teams. A complex plan of staggered student entry into and exit from the laboratory, provided for distancing. 3D printed face shields, designed and assembled in house, were provided to faculty; additional face shields were provided to students. An intricate rotating peer‐teaching component was incorporated to hand off the dissection between groups and to allow for study of anatomical variations. In‐person lectures were converted to virtual platforms using both synchronous and asynchronous formats. Medical tank teams met virtually to review and report on their dissection. A strict protocol was designed for in‐person self‐study. Students have embraced these designs and safety protocols and continue to perform extremely well. Student success, as measured by exam performance, is comparable to previous years. While several students required absences out of an abundance of caution, none of the students tested positive due to contact during the actual lab time. Three students reported testing positive for COVID‐19 following the Thanksgiving break. This time‐intensive endeavor required creativity, commitment, and leadership, and has had several novel benefits to include improved student to faculty ratio, more time for self‐study, and the additional responsibility and accountability for tank‐mates to act as both learners and teachers.