Volume 197 - Issue 4
Medical student-initiated anatomy education: an extracurricular experience at a regional medical school
Authors: Andrew T Hattam and Claudia M Diaz
Med J Aust 2012; 197 (4): 218. || doi: 10.5694/mja12.10735
Published online: 20 August 2012
Published online: 20 August 2012
To the Editor: The paucity of human anatomy teaching at Australian medical schools is well established. Recently, a number of 4-year graduate-entry medical schools have sought to improve anatomy knowledge among students by introducing cadaver-dissection electives and extracurricular anatomy courses. Currently, 6-year undergraduate medical programs, such as at James Cook University (JCU), incorporate more anatomy education than their graduate-entry counterparts. However, even 6-year programs offer ...
To the Editor: The paucity of human anatomy teaching at Australian medical schools is well established.1 Recently, a number of 4-year graduate-entry medical schools have sought to improve anatomy knowledge among students by introducing cadaver-dissection electives2 and extracurricular anatomy courses.3 Currently, 6-year undergraduate medical programs, such as at James Cook University (JCU), incorporate more anatomy education than their graduate-entry counterparts.4 However, even 6-year programs offer less anatomy education than was provided in past eras.4
In 2011, the JCU Medical Students Association launched a student-initiated program to supplement current anatomy education with additional interactive, clinically oriented, cadaver-based, human anatomy workshops. Run in liaison with the JCU Department of Anatomy and Pathology, the workshops are taught by surgeons, radiologists, pathologists and anatomists with expertise in the subject of each workshop. Workshops are either single-day events focusing on one anatomical region or 2-day events covering all body regions.
Workshop days involve groups of about five students rotating through eight 1-hour tutorial stations. Each station has prosections and potted pathology specimens pertaining to an anatomical region. All workshops include radiology stations to complement cadaver-based stations. A nominal fee of $20–$25 per day is charged to encourage student attendance and fund catering.
Initially offered with priority given to graduating students, workshop registration is now on a “first come, first served” basis. Concurrent workshops are scheduled to run across multiple JCU campuses (eg, Townsville and Cairns) to further increase student numbers in the future.
Although not formally quantified, the success of these workshops is evident in the high demand for both student and tutor positions. The advent of such programs in Australian medical schools indicates that both students and specialists appreciate the importance of anatomy in medical education. Similar programs are likely to continue to develop until formal human anatomy education is increased or a standardised national curriculum of anatomy education is implemented.
Competing interests
No relevant disclosures.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge Dr Christine Pirrone for assistance, organisation and support in the development of this student-initiated program.
References
- Turney BW. Anatomy in a modern medical curriculum. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2007; 89: 104-107. 0_CHDDJGJD
- Ramsey-Stewart G, Burgess AW, Hill DA. Back to the future: teaching anatomy by whole-body dissection. Med J Aust 2010; 193: 668-671. 0_i1142870
- Roberts MJ, Manoharan B, Vonau M, et al. Delivering supplemental anatomy education: the University of Queensland model [letter]. Med J Aust 2011; 195: 449. 0_i1142872
- Craig S, Tait N, Boers D, McAndrew D. Review of anatomy education in Australian and New Zealand medical schools. ANZ J Surg 2010; 80: 212-216. 0_i1142876