Anatomy e-learning and virtual dissection as aids to achieving learning outcomes in a self-directed-learning focused graduate entry medical school in Ireland

Traditionally, anatomy has been taught didactically and predominantly with the use of cadavers. However, with the introduction of graduate entry medical programmes of shorter duration and the ever increasing need for space, didactic teaching and dissecting facilities are often sacrificed and novel teaching modalities and technologies have been introduced in their place. The relatively recent development of interactive 3D learning technologies to complement anatomy learning has been rapid, and current research in this area is active. However, the literature has yet to establish whether or not there is definitive evidence to support the benefits and limitations of virtual dissection. The Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS) at the University of Limerick (UL) is a relatively new medical school which does not offer cadaveric dissection as part of its four year medical degree programme. Instead it employs a wide range of teaching and learning modalities in the delivery of the anatomy curriculum, with a strong emphasis on small group and self-directed learning. These modalities include problem based learning, provision of anatomy learning outcomes and related questions prior to flipped classroom style tutorials, free access to anatomical models, Aclands dissection videos, anatomy apps, web-based anatomy e-learning platforms and Anatomage tables. Weekly tutor-facilitated Anatomage sessions are also provided. Anatomage promises to provide access to 3D human anatomy to rival that of a cadaver and is the most recent addition to our anatomy learning toolkit. Our aims are firstly, to establish how best way to incorporate Anatomage into the graduate entry medicine curriculum in UL and secondly, in the longer term, to investigate the benefits and limitations of Anatomage, compared with cadaveric dissection and other innovative anatomy learning technologies in medical education. Here we present some preliminary data, on the opinions of first and second year graduate entry medical students about the efficacy of the anatomy resources and how Anatomage may enhance the anatomy learning experience. Students complete short surveys and the data collected from each cohort, first, second and third year students with differing exposure to the resources, is compared, to look for differences between students who had just commenced the programme to those nearing its completion. These studies will potentially inform international best practice in innovative approaches to anatomy learning and medical education in general.