Extreme makeover – Anatomy Edition: How a paradigm shift in pedagogy reshaped an anatomy program

Abstract

Much has been said about, and speculated on, the effect medical sciences curriculum changes have had, and will continue to have, on gross anatomy pedagogy. In the ten years since major curriculum change was implemented at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, gross (and microscopic) anatomy pedagogy have transformed from isolated courses into themes integrated into systems based units. Although administrative policies provided the initial impetus for pedagogical transformation, in recent years, incorporation of clinical instructors into the laboratory experience has fostered multi‐disciplinary teaching partnerships that provide contextual learning experiences for students. The paradigm shift from dissection to prosection pedagogy, the integration of clinically relevant anatomy through radiology and acute care, the development of interactive, online learning tools, and an upgrade in classroom technology have influenced our ability to provide advanced anatomical sciences instruction throughout all four years of undergraduate medical education. We discuss our experiences of pedagogy transformation in the last decade, and how these are informing efforts to improve pre‐medical anatomy pedagogy.