December 19, 2017, by studentcontributor

BMedSci project: “A vision for the future of gross anatomy teaching at medical school”

There were a few central reasons why I chose to study Medicine at the University of Nottingham. The opportunity to obtain two degrees during the 5-year course, and the medical school’s teaching of Gross Anatomy through full-cadaver dissection classes, set Nottingham apart. To conclude my BMedSci degree, and the first half of my course, I was fortunate enough to be able to conduct a project entitled “A vision for the future of gross anatomy teaching at Medical School”.

Since the medical renaissance of the 16^th century, cadaveric dissection has played a central role in educating the doctors of the future and is a key component of the course in Nottingham. My project allowed me the privilege to help shape the future of anatomical teaching at the medical school, ensuring the 500 year-old tradition is effectively supplemented by advances in technology.

I’m a really creative person, with a background in graphic design, so I created my own teaching material and anatomical drawings to supplement study in the Dissection Room. I taught half of second-year students about the gross anatomy of the ‘Back and Spinal Cord’ and, based on the fantastic analysis of the sessions, created a vision of how future teaching could be adapted to meet the needs of the entire spectrum of medical students.

As well as helping students of the future, the project enhanced my own development, ready for the clinical phases of the course. When communicating with patients, I feel that I’m very flexible when deciding how to explain aspects of their healthcare to them, and often find myself drawing them diagrams to boost their understanding. Effective teaching will form a major role in the career of every doctor, as will being able to practice medicine creatively, especially when faced with modern challenges in ever-evolving clinical environments.

I had a fascinating time constructing my dissertation, and was delighted to receive recognition at the BMedSci prize-giving ceremony last week for my work. I am looking to publish my project in 2018, but most importantly, I have helped future Nottingham students maximise the incredible privilege of the study of gross anatomy through full-cadaver dissection.

 

 

Contributor: Daniel Hudson, CP2 medical student

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