Art in Anatomy session as a method of formative feedback in preclerkship medical education

Medical schools were incorporating active learning strategies in anatomy teaching to accommodate diverse student bodies. Formative assessment and art as a hands-on learning method had been explored as alternatives to traditional teaching methods. Those methods allowed students to practice and assess their understanding of anatomy as they progress. The present study investigated the effectiveness of "Art in Anatomy" lab sessions in enhancing preclerkship medical students' comprehension of challenging anatomical topics and determining whether differences were related to their year in medical school. This study involved 41 pre-clinical year medical students at California University of Science and Medicine-School of Medicine (CUSM-SOM) who participated in Art in Anatomy sessions. Results showed presession and postsession quiz scores, with differences calculated for first-year and second-year medical students. The study revealed a significant skew in pre- and postsession data, with Year 2 students showing lower mean and smaller range on presession quiz scores. Postsession quiz scores showed higher mean and median scores but reversed on postsession. Both Year 1 and Year 2 students showed improved scores, with 68% experiencing a score increase of 0, 1, 3, or 4 points and 32% experiencing a 2-point increase. Art in Anatomy sessions could effectively support medical students in learning human anatomy during preclerkship years. The method provided formative feedback, aiding immediate recall of anatomical knowledge. Future research should explore different art forms and correlate postsession quiz scores with other students' exam scores, such as end-of-course, National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), and practical exam scores.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Art in Anatomy sessions could be incorporated in systems-based curricula as a supplementary learning method with the benefit of providing formative feedback to the learners and the educators.