Learning Anatomy: Can Dissection and Peer-Mediated Teaching Offer Added Benefits over Prosection Alone?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy
• Surgical Training

Background:

• Anatomy education is crucial for medical students.
• Traditional teaching methods often rely on prosected specimens.
• The value of hands-on dissection and peer teaching in anatomy is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if an optional thoracic dissection elective improves anatomy knowledge acquisition.
• To determine the effect of peer-mediated teaching on anatomy examination performance.
• To compare the educational outcomes of dissection versus prosected specimen-based learning.

Main Methods:

• A five-year retrospective analysis of first-year medical students' thoracic anatomy examination scores.
• Comparison of exam performance between students who participated in an optional thoracic dissection elective and those who did not.
• Evaluation of the impact of incorporating peer teaching within the dissection elective.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in examination performance was observed between students who dissected and those who learned from prosected specimens, except in one year.
• The inclusion of peer teaching in the dissection elective did not lead to improved student outcomes.
• Exam scores were the primary metric; attitudinal or skills-based impacts were not assessed.

Conclusions:

• Prosected specimens are adequate for teaching thoracic anatomy in undergraduate medical programs.
• Optional thoracic dissection electives do not appear to enhance student performance on anatomy examinations.
• Peer teaching did not demonstrate a significant effect on anatomy examination results in this study.