Restructuring a basic science course for core competencies: An example from anatomy teaching

Abstract

Medical schools revise their curricula in order to develop physicians best skilled to serve the public's needs. To ensure a smooth transition to residency programs, undergraduate medical education is often driven by the six core competencies endorsed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME): patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning, interpersonal skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. Recent curricular redesign at Mayo Medical School provided an opportunity to restructure anatomy education and integrate radiology with first-year gross and developmental anatomy. The resulting 6-week (120-contact-hour) human structure block provides students with opportunities to learn gross anatomy through dissection, radiologic imaging, and embryologic correlation. We report more than 20 educational interventions from the human structure block that may serve as a model for incorporating the ACGME core competencies into basic science and early medical education. The block emphasizes clinically-oriented anatomy, invites self- and peer-evaluation, provides daily formative feedback through an audience response system, and employs team-based learning. The course includes didactic briefing sessions and roles for students as teachers, leaders, and collaborators. Third-year medical students serve as teaching assistants. With its clinical focus and competency-based design, the human structure block connects basic science with best-practice clinical medicine.

Design, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative anatomy course

“…Anatomy instruction in clinical education is confronted with three challenges: first, the integration of basic science with clinical cases (AAMC-HHMI, 2009); second, the general need to shorten formal anatomy instruction to allow for new content to be added to the school-wide curriculum (Drake et al, 2002;Heylings, 2002;Drake et al, 2009;Gregory et al, 2009), while addressing the concern that medical students were ill-prepared in anatomy when entering clerkships and residency programs (Collins et al, 1994;Gordinier et al, 1995;Cottam, 1999;DiCaprio et al, 2003;Prince et al, 2005;Waterston and Stewart, 2005;Fitzgerald et al, 2008); and third, the value of dissection versus, technology-supported alternatives (Latman and Lanier, 2001;Heylings, 2002;McMillen et al, 2004;Granger et al, 2006;Trelease, 2006;Granger and Calleson, 2007;Winkelmann, 2007;Bergman et al, 2008;Trelease, 2008). These challenges have been faced with varying success by a number of medical schools that experimented with the design of their anatomy course .…”

Anatomy teaching assistants: Facilitating teaching skills for medical students through apprenticeship and mentoring

“…Successful demonstration of competencies is determined by self evaluations, formative feedback, peer evaluations, laboratory practical testing, written examinations, and written evaluation by the teaching faculty (Camp et al 2010). In addition to the requirement of core knowledge of basic human structure and function and its application to patient care, students are also expected to demonstrate aspects of professionalism, effective communication, teamsmanship, and leadership Gregory et al 2009). …”

Anatomical Sciences Education: A partner on the road to scholarship in teaching and learning

“…Every year brings new challenges-but also opportunities-in the field of anatomy education. Changes include the time allocated for anatomical science education in curricula (Drake et al, 2009), revision of anatomy courses and laboratories (Gregory et al, 2009), implementation of new educational technologies, and modifications in teaching style. Despite these changes, or perhaps because of the innovation they inspire, anatomy teachers are frequently perceived by their students and peers as firstrate educators who provide the most memorable educational experiences.…”