The value of supplementary anatomy workshops for improving undergraduate performance

With many anatomy courses within the medical curriculum suffering reductions in lecture and dissection time, supplementary programs in anatomy have shown to improve performance of medical students. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of anatomy workshops on undergraduate anatomy grade performance.

From 2012 to 2014, mean anatomy and physiology scores of medical students who attended anatomy workshops were compared to those who did not attend. Furthermore, mean scores in anatomy were also compared between students who attended one workshop to those who attended multiple workshops. Data analyses included comparing mean test scores using Student's t-test for normally distributed data.

A total of 55 medical students were included in this study. Significant differences in both anatomy (p < 0.0001) and physiology (p = 0.0113) scores were found between medical students who attended the anatomy workshops versus those who did not. Similarly, medical students who attended multiple workshops, compared to those that attended a single workshop, obtained significantly higher anatomy grade performance (p = 0.0043).

The results of this study are supported by comparable studies that have shown similar improvements in grade performance. In a time where reduced undergraduate medical teaching time is prevalent, supplementary education in the basic sciences, with an emphasis on anatomy, may prove a successful adjunct to the medical curriculum.