Dissection and dissection-associated required experiences improve student performance in gross anatomy: Differences...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Effective educational strategies require multi-level student engagement.
• Gross anatomy is a foundational medical science course.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between student performance in gross anatomy and learning through dissection.
• To analyze the impact of varying dissection exposure and peer teaching on student examination outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of examination data from 692 first-year medical students across five cohorts.
• Comparison of student performance based on the number of weekly dissections completed (one vs. two).
• Stratification of results by student academic quartiles (upper and lower).

Main Results:

• Students completing two dissections per unit showed higher average laboratory and written examination scores than those completing one (P < 0.01).
• Upper-quartile students scored higher with one or two dissections compared to peer learning (92.8%/92.4% vs. 90.3%, P < 0.01).
• Lower-quartile students demonstrated the most significant gains from dissection, outperforming peer learning in practical and written exams (77.8%/80.5% vs. 73.7%, P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Dissection, combined with educational activities, is an effective pedagogical strategy for gross anatomy learning.
• Lower-quartile students benefit more extensively from dissection compared to upper-quartile students.
• Further research is needed to explore the benefits of peer teaching within dissection-based learning.