Turning Anatomy on its Head; a Lab‐First Approach to Anatomy

In response to a change in curriculum and decreased lab attendance, we decided to teach anatomy in a different way, by placing labs first, requiring the students to prepare ahead of time, followed by a quiz and summary lecture. Using this approach required student facilitators, trained over the summer, who assisted in directing students in the Gross Anatomy course. The Blackboard learning system was used to handle daily quizzes and to make all lecture and lab materials available to students prior to class. The Anatomy course occupies weeks 2 through 11 of their first semester. The typical day is as follows: 8AM to 9AM. Facilitators informally preview material for interested students. 9AM to 11:30AM Anatomy lab. We alternate A and B groups; Facilitators and faculty are in lab during dissection. 11:30AM to Noon: Review of the day's dissection for the nondissecting group. 12:45PM–1:10PM Quiz on the morning's lab. 1:10PM–1:50PM Lecture on day's material. In this way of teaching, we turn the traditional teaching model on its head, making the students learn in a different way. We have only just finished the first class using this method. Preliminary results suggest a significant improvement in grade relative to the previous year, and, I can also report the students in our class appear more enthusiastic and interested in dissection this year as opposed to last year, and are more involved with dissection than we have seen previously.