Growing Medical Educators from Medical Students by Supporting Self-directing Learning Opportunities Born Out of...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy
• Pathology

Background:

• Medical students often engage in anatomy dissection programs.
• Incidental findings in cadavers present unique learning opportunities.
• Self-directed learning (SDL) is increasingly recognized for its educational benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the value of SDL projects in enhancing medical student education.
• To assess the perceived value of SDL in preparing future medical educators.
• To analyze student motivations for participating in SDL projects and their interest in medical education.

Main Methods:

• A subset of medical students participated in an anatomy dissection program.
• Students undertook an additional self-directed learning (SDL) project.
• The project focused on investigating incidental findings of cadaveric pathology.
• Student interest in medical education was assessed by analyzing motivations for participation.

Main Results:

• SDL projects offer significant experiential learning opportunities for medical students.
• Students perceived value in SDL for developing skills as future medical educators.
• Participation in the project potentially advanced student interest in medical education.
• Anatomic pathology served as a bridge connecting diverse medical education areas.

Conclusions:

• Self-directed learning (SDL) is a valuable pedagogical approach in medical education.
• Anatomy dissection programs can be enhanced with SDL components.
• Cadaveric pathology investigations through SDL can foster interest in medical education and future educator roles.