A unique and effective method of anatomy education: Small‐group learning with prosected plastinated specimens

Abstract

Objective At the New York University College of Dentistry, we are faced with the challenge of teaching Head and Neck Anatomy to a class of approximately 380 first‐year students. We have developed an innovative anatomy curriculum that has proven effective in facilitating students’ learning and long‐term retention of the material. It has the added benefit of being time‐ and cost‐efficient. Here, we share the structure of our curriculum and examine the student outcomes and student feedback. Materials and Methods In this paper, we describe the evidence‐based methods used in our course and present measures of student success. We also surveyed students about aspects of the anatomy curriculum. Results Our curriculum efficiently manages cost, instructional time, and classroom space, while promoting student success. Over the last 9 years, NYU Dentistry students have achieved a mean first‐time pass rate of 98.6% and an average anatomy score of 1.74 standard deviations above the national mean on the National Board Dental Examination Part I. Students agree with instructor assessments of which features of the curriculum are valuable and state that the course helps them prepare for clinical courses. Conclusion We believe that the main factors in the success of our course are the small group setting, the benefits of spaced repetition and frequent quizzes, and the use of plastinated specimens in place of wet cadavers.

Battle of the sections: Student outcomes and course feedback support combined prosection and dissection laboratory formats to maximize student success

“…Additional feedback noted the time saved was largely a result of not having to remove "fat" and "fascia," as these tissues are largely not emphasized on practical exams and therefore perceived as unimportant. The usefulness of prosection specific to student time efficiency, decreased cost and resources, and peer teaching has been well established, 5,[18][19][20][21] and feedback from our prosection cohort is consistent with these previously reported advantages.…”

Impact of test‐enhanced learning as a study strategy: An exploratory study with first‐year dental students

“…Previous research has also concluded that learning is more durable when self-testing is spaced out over time than when it is massed together, a technique called spaced repetition. [18][19][20][21][22][23] Although massed learning such as cramming for exams improves short-term memory, not much of the information remains recallable over time. If study efforts are spaced out, however, long-term retention is improved.…”

“…Bjork 14 stated that while self‐testing might slow down the initial learning process, it can produce beneficial long‐term outcomes when compared with restudying the material. Previous research has also concluded that learning is more durable when self‐testing is spaced out over time than when it is massed together, a technique called spaced repetition 18–23 . Although massed learning such as cramming for exams improves short‐term memory, not much of the information remains recallable over time.…”

Practical anatomy classes: An alternative to improve the learning of middle school students

“…In light of the above, plastination seems to be a suitable alternative method for teaching anatomy and related disciplines, [40][41][42] given its cost-effectiveness. 43 Such technology also allows producing long-term and non-toxic final specimens (clean and odorless), 31,44 thus preserving anatomic structure and variance.…”