Anatomy teaching: students’ perceptions

The goal of this study was to analyse students’ perceptions of anatomy teaching. A questionnaire was distributed to two classes of first year dental students taught anatomy in both problem-based learning (PBL) and traditional formats. The questionnaire explored the students’ most preferred techniques for learning anatomy, their examination preferences and their perceived level of mastery of anatomy. Fifty-seven (95%) students completed the survey. The most commonly used study aids were atlases, dissection and lecture notes (in descending order). Students expressed the desire for the final examination to include both written and oral components. Six months after the final examination, the students reported their perceived level of mastery of anatomy as either “very good” or “OK”. Even in the PBL curriculum 39% of both classes felt it is necessary to have quizzes during the course to motivate and guide them in studying anatomy.     

Learning outcomes in medical informatics: comparison of a WebCT course with ordinary web site learning material

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare whether students' learning outcomes would be better in a designed learning environment (WebCT) than in a conventional web site (WWW) with similar course material but without special learning tools. CONTEXT: Third-year medical students in an introductory course on medical informatics at the University of Helsinki, Finland. METHODS: Students were randomly assigned to a WebCT group (n=39) and a WWW group (n=46). The students in the WebCT group utilized the course material in general discussion groups, special discussions about lectures, quizzes and students' own notes. The WWW group had access only to the course material. The learning outcome was assessed by administering an on-line examination and the learning experience of the students was assessed by an on-line quiz. RESULTS: The course grade was significantly higher in the WebCT group as compared to the WWW group. This finding was more prominent among females. The students of the WebCT group also experienced significantly more improvement in collaboration with the use of computers than the students in the WWW group. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, web-based learning seems to be more effective when students are provided with specially designed learning tools.     

Analysis of medical students' use of web-based resources for a gross anatomy and embryology course

An extensive Web site supporting our gross anatomy and embryology course, which includes various course management pages as well as online lectures, has been in use for the past 2 years. To determine how this Web site is being used by students, we examined server log files to track access to each of the Web pages on the site. Using this data, along with student responses on a course evaluation, we have been able to quantitatively characterize Web site use and gain some insight into students' perception of the site. This analysis showed that all of the resources available online, including course management information, exam reviews, online lectures, and dissection guides were heavily used and deemed useful by students. Despite universal computer ownership and Internet access from home, most use of the Web site was from on-campus computer labs, especially for lectures with audio streams. This was probably due to the limited bandwidth of off-campus connections. Data on the day of the week and time of the day of access showed peak activity at expected times, but also significant activity at all hours, as students took full advantage of 'access on demand.' This on-demand nature of the Web was also evident in students' viewing of lectures in short sessions rather than in one sitting. Online lectures were used regularly by a majority of students both before and after corresponding class sessions, however, this was not the preferred venue for all students. Although the flexibility of Web-based resources accommodates students' varying study habits, the alternative of traditional print material and live lectures should not be abandoned lightly.     

Distributed radiology clerkship for the core clinical year of medical school.

OBJECTIVE: The central role that diagnostic radiology has in the modern practice of medicine has not always been reflected in radiology's place in the curriculum. We developed a new radiology clerkship for undergraduate medical students during their core clinical year that was supported by Web technology. The assumptions underlying the design of the clerkship were that radiology is best learned from radiologists and that students are most receptive to learning radiology when it is related to concurrent patient care experiences. DESCRIPTION: Beginning in May 2000, a required radiology clerkship experience was incorporated into the core clinical year at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The core clinical year was organized into three 16-week blocks of clerkships. Two or four independent half-day radiology tutorial sessions were included with each clerkship block, and attended by all students in the block (approximately 35 students), regardless of their specific clerkship assignments. There were ten different radiology tutorials, each given three times during the year as students rotated through the clerkship blocks. Thus, each student attended a radiology tutorial session every four to eight weeks during the year. The topics covered during the tutorials were correlated with the content of the clerkship blocks and included adult and pediatric chest radiology, adult and pediatric abdominal radiology, body CT, neuroradiology, obstetric ultrasound, gynecologic ultrasound, osteoporosis, adult and pediatric fractures, mammography, and cervical spine trauma. The tutorials included pre- and post-test, lectures, case presentations, and sometimes tours of the radiology department. The educational emphasis was on pragmatic case-based learning exercises, development of verbal and visual vocabulary, and learning when and where to seek more information. To provide continuity and organization, Web-based curriculum materials were designed and implemented as a component of the clerkship. The home page of the Web site provided the schedule, faculty names, attendance and grading policies, course overview, and links to individual tutorials. The pages for individual tutorials included educational objectives, glossary of radiology terminology relevant to the subject, lecture slides and handouts, and teaching cases. All students had laptop computers and access to the academic network, but did not use them during the actual tutorial sessions. DISCUSSION: Implementation of the radiology clerkship required extensive negotiation with directors of other clerkships so that students could be released from their other responsibilities in order to attend the radiology tutorials. The radiology clerkship format has proven to be complex in its administration, with faculty and students on different schedules commuting to the radiology lecture hall from various locations. Extensive use of e-mail and communication via the Web site have been instrumental in reminding faculty and students of upcoming sessions. Preliminary evaluations have indicated that students liked the radiology sessions and learned a great deal, but disliked the scheduling and the lack of continuity. An evaluation of the curriculum and its components is ongoing.     

USRC: A New Strategy for Adding Digital Images to the Medical School Curriculum

Many medical schools use learning management systems (LMSs) to give students access to online lecture notes, assignments, quizzes, and other learning resources. LMSs can also be used to provide access to digital radiology images, potentially improving preclinical teaching in anatomy, physiology, and pathology while also allowing students to develop interpretation skills that are important in clinical practice. However, it is unclear how radiology images can best be stored, imported, and displayed in an LMS. We developed University of Saskatchewan Radiology Courseware (USRC), a new web application that allows course designers to import images into pages linked to BlackBoard Learn, a popular LMS. Page content, including images, annotations, captions, and supporting text, are stored as teaching cases on a MIRC (Medical Imaging Resource Center) server. Course designers create cases in MIRC, and then create a corresponding page in BlackBoard by modifying an HTML template so that it holds the URL of a MIRC case. When a user visits the page in BlackBoard, the page requests content from the MIRC case, reformats the text for display in BlackBoard, and loads an image viewer plug-in that allows students to view and interact with the images stored in the case. The USRC technology can be used to reformat MIRC cases for presentation in any website or in any learning management system that supports custom pages written in HTML with embedded JavaScript.     

Animated PowerPoint as a tool to teach anatomy

Anatomy is a visual science. For centuries, anatomic information has been conveyed through drawings that have been presented to students through every available medium. The projection of animated images from a computer is a medium that offers great promise in effecting improved communication of anatomic information. Using Microsoft PowerPoint software, we have developed animated presentations for all of our lectures in Gross and Developmental Anatomy. As a starting point, we scan pen-and-ink drawings to create a digital image. The image may be edited and manipulated in an image processing program. Next, the image is imported into a PowerPoint slide where it is labeled and otherwise enhanced (arteries overlaid with red color, veins in blue, etc.) and the enhancements are animated, as we describe here step by step. For the lecture, the file is loaded on a server that is accessible through a network from a computer in the lecture hall. The output is directed to a video projector and the PowerPoint presentation is projected in the "Slide Show" mode. We use a wireless mouse that allows us to control the presentation from anywhere in the room. Before the lecture, students are provided with the same unlabeled drawings as handouts, and during the lecture the students are actively engaged in labeling the drawings and making related notes. After the lecture, the file is saved in HTML format and posted on our course web site where students can access the slides. Evaluation by the students at the end of the course demonstrated that this style of presentation was very favorably received.     

Student evaluation of faculty teaching in molecular anatomy course at Nippon Medical School: results of a questionnaire survey

For the purpose of improving education, the lecture and practices employed in the Molecular Anatomy Course were evaluated by students. The survey was performed with personal computer connected to a local area network and the results were readily exhibited on our website the following day. The total number of answers was 528 and the reply percentage was 31.2%. The average score (from 1: very bad to 5: very good) was 3.9, with a range of 3.2 to 4.8. Faculty teaching got better grades in the latter half of the period compared to those in the first half, particularly on "preparation" and "understanding". The correlation analysis showed a strong relationship between the understanding of the lecture and the orientation of practice. These findings suggest that constant evaluation by students during the whole period of the instruction is useful for improving the quality of education of our Anatomy Course.     

Outcomes of the gross and developmental anatomy teaching assistant experience

During the first-year Gross and Developmental Anatomy Course at Mayo Medical School, third-year medical students volunteer as teaching assistants (TAs). Their responsibilities include preparing for dissection, instructing students during dissection, writing examination questions, and giving a lecture. To evaluate the academic and professional impact of this experience on former TAs, a survey instrument was developed, and was sent to former TAs from the past 17 years. Seventy-two percent of the surveys were returned. Most respondents (84%) indicated that the TA experience was beneficial during their third-year surgical rotation. Over 60% identified benefits during Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Internal Medicine rotations. The majority (62%) indicated they regularly use the knowledge gained from the TA experience. Communication was the most highly ranked area of skill development, with 86% of respondents indicating gains in lecture effectiveness and 97% in one-on-one teaching. Among respondents, 32% entered surgical or radiological fields, roughly paralleling the non-TA medical student population. All respondents indicated that they would repeat the experience and recommend it to other medical students. Although benefits for long-term career development have not yet been established, the Gross and Developmental Anatomy TA experience had perceived short-term benefits with respect to clinical rotations and teaching skill development.     

Study skills instruction in medical school.

Effective study skills are an essential component of medical education. Following analysis of current study habits of students attending the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) a brief study skills course was developed for premedical students. Course evaluation indicated that instructed students reported more positive study habits one year later than did those without such instruction: a greater number of instructed students reported taking detailed notes during lectures (56 vs 32%) and starting to revise early in term (28% vs 11%) while fewer of these students routinely used the notes of other students after lectures (2 vs 10%) or as study material (0 vs 6%). A study skills course is now routinely provided in conjunction with individual student counselling, where necessary, to facilitate student success in this Medical School.     

Anatomical education in the late Meiji era --Lu Xun, doctor Fujino and their comtemporaries

Lu Xun studied medicine at Sendai Medical School for 1 and a half years and then changed his course to Literature. In his novel "Doctor Fujino", Lu Xun told his memory on the anatomical notes in which Professor Fujino made numerous corrections. I analyzed the anatomical notes by Lu Xun and his classmates, and revealed the situation of lectures at that time. The teachers drew many anatomical illustrations on the black board with colored chalks. The lecture notes of students may be either clean copies rewritten after lectures or crude notes written during the lectures. When making clean copies, they copied anatomical illustrations in the anatomical textbooks at hand. The anatomical textbooks by Gegenbaur, Rauber and Ishikawa were utilized. Lu Xun made clean copies in the first two months after matriculation, and made crude notes after then. Corrections by Professor Fujino were found in the crude notes for his lectures.     

MEDICOL: online learning in medicine and dentistry.

OBJECTIVE: MEDICOL (Medicine and Dentistry Integrated Curriculum Online) provides a variety of Web-based resources that act as important adjuncts to all the teaching components of the medical and dental undergraduate curriculum. It uses WebCT, a course-management system, to provide the following educational functions: (1) track students' progress and present course information such as time-tables, learning objectives, handout materials, images, references, course assignments, and evaluations; (2) promote student-to-student and student-to-instructor interactions (through e-mail and bulletin boards); and (3) deliver self-directed learning components, including weekly self-assessment quizzes that provide immediate feedback and multimedia learning modules (clinical skills, radiology, evidence-based medicine, etc.). DESCRIPTION: The University of British Columbia Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry feature a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum in which students access many of the same tools they will utilize in their professional practice. In the PBL curriculum, students must access the relevant clinical data and educational resources. A MEDICOL site has also been developed for medical students to use during their rural family practice, a four- to six-week experience in the summer after their second year. This site has been designed to be a supplemental learning environment for not only these students, but also for their physician preceptors. It is intended to foster communication among participants, bring new resources to the rural setting, and allow preceptors to develop their Internet skills with the help of students who are already familiar with the electronic environment. The MEDICOL sites enable the exchange of information about the learning issues between, as well as within, tutorial groups. MEDICOL also provides students with faculty-reviewed resources that are listed online; multimedia presentations; and access to histology, radiology, and pathology images through an online image database. Each week, students have access to a new interactive and automatically graded self-assessment quiz for individual study. These quizzes test learning objectives from tutorial, lecture, and lab material for each week of the curriculum and are modeled after summative examinations held twice each year. Question authors provide immediately accessible quality feedback to students. A comprehensive quiz databank of approximately 1,500 questions has been attained. WebCT enables MEDICOL to deliver anonymous, online program-evaluation questionnaires during clinical clerkships (resulting in a 99% response rate after a few e-mail reminders), with easy and timely data collection and reporting methods. Summative assessments have also been delivered through MEDICOL. DISCUSSION: Use statistics indicate that over 90% of students regularly use the MEDICOL sites and have found them helpful. University of British Columbia medical school enrollment will increase because of collaborations with campuses and medical centers across the province. MEDICOL will likely play an increased role in distance learning by continuing to deliver the resources already described, as well as facilitating synchronous communications (e.g., PBL chat rooms) and teaching (e.g., video-streamed lectures) to students located across the province.     

The pathology curriculum in US medical schools. 1986 survey by the Association of Pathology Chairmen

Responses to questionnaires on teaching pathology to medical students from 71.6% of US medical schools indicate the following: (1) average class size continues to decrease; (2) in very few schools is instruction entirely interdisciplinary; (3) use of small-group teaching has increased slightly since 1982; (4) average curriculum time remains 250 hours per year; (5) clinical pathology instruction is frequently integrated with systemic pathology (mean time allocation, 40 hours per year); (6) lecture and study of gross and microscopic specimens remain mainstays of instruction; (7) honors/pass/fail grading systems are used by 54.7% of respondents (none use class rank); (8) multiple-choice examinations are a major method of evaluation; (9) graduates seeking post-medical degree training in pathology range from 0% to 6% of each class (mean, 2.13%); and (10) problems most often encountered are that there are too many students per class, and that students are unprepared for pathology.     

Training medical students in community health: a novel required fourth-year clerkship at the University of Rochester.

In 2004, community health became the fourth mission of the University of Rochester Medical Center, along with education, clinical care, and research. In that same year, a novel clerkship was added to the fourth-year curriculum that focuses on the "practice" of community health and preventive medicine. The goal is to offer intensive experiential training to develop skills in community health improvement by partnering with community agencies involved in health promotion and disease prevention. The learning objectives addressed include community health assessment, risk behavior change, assurance of personal health services, advocacy and policy change, environmental interventions, community organization and partnership building, and program evaluation. The clerkship involves three full days of didactic instruction at the beginning of a four-week period of program development and implementation. Each student chooses a project that focuses on a specific target population, then designs it and incorporates public health knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned during the didactic component. Course directors then mentor students during project implementation. Students can begin "longitudinal" experiences in their first or second years to fold into the required clerkship. Innovations include a novel Advocacy and Policy Change module, a highly rated Cultural Determinants of Health lecture, and a resource-based course Web site. The clerkship was initially offered as an elective, and it has since become a required course. In the clerkship to date, 340 students have launched hundreds of community-level interventions within various settings locally, nationally, and internationally. Evaluation efforts to date indicate that the clerkship has been received favorably by both faculty and students.     

Application and performance of artificial intelligence technology in cytopathology

Deep learning algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) are making great progress in their capacity to evaluate and interpret image data recent advancements in computer vision and machine learning. The first use of AI in a pathology lab was in cytopathology, when a computer-assisted Pap test screening was created. Initially designed to diagnose rather than screen, there was a lot of disagreement concerning their wide use to clinical specimens. However, whole-slide imaging of both gynaecological and non-gynaecological histopathology have been the subject of recent AI work. An overview of the literature on AI in cytopathology is provided in this brief review. To be more precise, it intends to emphasize the relevance of applications of AI algorithms to gynaecological and non-gynaecologic cytology. Between January 2000 and December 2021, a search on artificial intelligence in cytopathology was conducted in several well-known databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar. Only full-text papers that could be accessed online were evaluated.     

Transition from Film to Electronic Media in the First-Year Medical School Gross Anatomy Lab

For the benefit of the first-year gross anatomy students, we digitized and published on a Web site images that had been collected over a 30-year period. We provided a CD-ROM (compact disk, read-only media) containing the image set in higher quality format to students and faculty. We supplemented basic images with hot topics such as CT angiography, virtual colonography, computer-aided diagnosis, and 3D post-processing. Full motion video and moving JPEG (Joint Photo Expert Group) animations were integrated into the atlas. On the post course questionnaire medical students reported that the images on CD-ROM were helpful during the course and for review prior to examinations. Faculty and medical students used the CD-ROM for problem-based learning sections and facilitator training. The images were clear and easily projected during review sessions and were useful for the small group sessions, where they served as examples of normal anatomy.     

演讲与口才训练在提升大学生自信中的作用研究

目的考察演讲与口才训练在提升大学生自信中的有效性。方法从自愿报名的学生中筛选20人进行演讲与口才训练并进行学习汇报展演，使用自卑感量表（FIS）在训练前后施测．进行差异检验；使用演讲者信心自评量表（PRCS）对所有报名学生在训练前后施测，进行差异检验。结果演讲者信心自评量表结果与自卑感量表结果成负相关；演讲与口才训练营成员自卑感量表结果前后测差异极其显著（t=25．805，P〈0．01）；所有报名演讲者信心自评量表结果前后测差异极其显著（t=19．363，P〈0．01）。结论演讲与口才训练是提升大学生自信心的一种有效尝试。     

Development of a laboratory niche Web site

This technical note presents the development of a methodological laboratory niche Web site. The “Grossing Technology in Surgical Pathology” (www.grossing-technology.com) Web site is used as an example. Although common steps in creation of most Web sites are followed, there are particular requirements for structuring the template's menu on methodological laboratory Web sites. The “nested doll principle,” in which one object is placed inside another, most adequately describes the methodological approach to laboratory Web site design. Fragmentation in presenting the Web site's material highlights the discrete parts of the laboratory procedure. An optimally minimal triad of components can be recommended for the creation of a laboratory niche Web site: a main set of media, a blog, and an ancillary component (host, contact, and links). The inclusion of a blog makes the Web site a dynamic forum for professional communication. By forming links and portals, cloud computing opens opportunities for connecting a niche Web site with other Web sites and professional organizations. As an additional source of information exchange, methodological laboratory niche Web sites are destined to parallel both traditional and new forms, such as books, journals, seminars, webinars, and internal educational materials.