The Minute Clinic: Increasing Student Engagement in an Undergraduate Systems‐Based Anatomy Course

Abstract

The undergraduate anatomy courses at the University of Missouri provide anatomical training to a large cohort of pre‐professional students including future radiology technicians, physical and occupation therapists, nursing and dentistry providers. Historically, systems‐based anatomy was often taught in isolation, and the students struggled to connect course content with future clinical scenarios, leading to reduced student engagement. To improve student engagement and retention of course material, a new laboratory curriculum integrating clinical scenarios was developed in 2015. Named after the walk‐in primary care clinics which have recently gained popularity as a healthcare option, the in‐laboratory Minute Clinics are short presentations of common disorders correlated with the week's topic. The presentations incorporate descriptions of symptoms, relevant diagnostic imaging and brief discussion of treatment options. Other clinical applications within the curriculum included donor stations, clinical anatomy in‐lab worksheets and clinical stems on exam questions. Assessment of the curriculum included exam performance, student evaluations and instructor feedback. Results indicate that use of clinical stems in exam questions did not significantly change exam performance. However, the integration of clinical scenarios into the curriculum increased student engagement, leading to improved attendance, positive student evaluations and enriched instructor‐student relationships.