Facilitating appreciation of anatomical variation and development of teamwork skills in the gross anatomy laboratory...

Developing a mental map of the body in three dimensions incorporating normal anatomical variations is a challenge for students of gross anatomy. Acquisition of this ability is facilitated by frequently reassigning students to work on different specimens in gross anatomy laboratories, a significant departure from traditional teaching strategies. This article analyzes student and faculty experiences with a reassignment system over a six-year period, including effects on early professional development and students' attitudes toward the cadavers. Students were strongly supportive of the method, noting that specimen reassignments facilitated learning, encouraged dissection skill building, and fostered collaborative interactions. Students' perception of the value of the contribution of each cadaver to their education was preserved and, for many, enhanced. Frequent specimen reassignments offer an opportunity to model public accountability for work and some aspects of the relationships between multiple health care teams caring for a patient.