Bridging Anatomy Curricular Gaps: Leveraging Student-Created Video Resources in Elective Courses

Traditional anatomical donor-based dissection has long served as the cornerstone of anatomical education. However, with increasingly condensed curricula and diverse student learning preferences, multimedia tools have become vital adjuncts to support engagement, comprehension, and accessibility. At the Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED), we developed a student-led educational module combining cadaveric dissection, a step-by-step dissection guide, and a virtual reality (VR) video to teach the muscles of facial expression. A human anatomical donor facial dissection was performed and documented to develop a comprehensive, three-part dissection guide covering muscular anatomy, dissection steps, and clinical correlations. An accompanying VR video was created using the Meta Quest two headset and 3D Organon XR, featuring animated muscle movements and cultural references (e.g., Spider-Man, Mrs. Doubtfire) to reinforce anatomical concepts. Fifty-two medical students viewed the VR video and completed an anonymous Likert scale survey assessing clarity, engagement, educational value, and technical performance. Survey responses were highly favorable across all categories. Students rated the video highly for explaining muscle function (mean = 4.37), maintaining engagement (4.42), and enhancing understanding through visual quality (4.27). Cultural references were particularly well received (4.46), with 86.5% agreeing they enhanced educational value. The VR experience was considered technically smooth (4.23) and effective as a supplement to anatomical donor dissection (4.29). Qualitative feedback indicated strong interest in expanding VR modules to cover musculoskeletal and vascular anatomy, sports medicine, and clinically integrated case scenarios. This study supports the pedagogical value of integrating VR and cinematic references into anatomy education. The module successfully reinforced student understanding of facial anatomy while enhancing engagement and motivation. As a student-created resource, it also illustrates the value of learner-driven content development in addressing curricular gaps and promoting active learning. Student-developed VR modules are a promising complement to traditional anatomy education. Future efforts aim to expand VR video production to additional anatomical regions beyond the face and incorporate VR-based clinical case assessments to support deeper learning and knowledge integration.