Neuroanatomy learning and teaching continue to be a challenge in any curricula. One reason is that relations among different structures is difficult to visualize. Spatial abilities are useful in learning neuroanatomy, but students' skills differ widely in any given medical class, specially between genders. Thus, building and manipulating physical models has shown to be useful for learning anatomy, as it incorporates basic sensorimotor skills in the learning process. This study examines the spatial abilities and perceptions of undergraduate medical students toward learning sensorimotor tracts. It also proposes that following a self‐guided virtual module, in addition to “threading” the tracts over a physical model of spinal cord and brainstem, which allows visualization of the trajectories, would improve the consolidation of the information, enhance the learning experience of the topic, and contribute to student autonomy.In a cohort of 70 undergraduate medical students, the perception of difficulties and learning strategies and actual spatial proficiency were measured using a questionnaire and a standardized Mental Rotation Test (MRT) in 2017‐II. A virtual module consisting of interactive videos, equipped with formative quizzes and a training module to practice spinal cord segment identification were developed in Spanish. Construction of the scaffold model for tract threading, instruction video for assembly of the model and student outcomes will be tested in 2018‐I following a randomized experimental crossover design.Results of the pilot study showed that the strategies used by students range widely from plain repetition to coloring. Analysis of the answers by gender show a difference in the strategies prioritized. While female students prefer drawing the tracts in colors significantly more than men, male students prefer mental visualization of the tracts and dislike drawing with colors pencils. Also, there is a wide range of spatial abilities in the class, according to the MRT. Just as reported in the literature for the rest of the world, the results of women are significant lower than in men (P<0.05).Preliminary evidence shows that the perceptions toward the difficulty of content, self‐efficacy and motivation differ between male and female students. Also, they utilize different strategies to study the topic. Further study would allow to develop and test tools, such as a 3D model of the spinal cord and brainstem to “thread” the tracts, that would benefit students with different learning styles.Support or Funding InformationVicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de los Andes.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.