Due to the rigor and pace of undergraduate medical anatomy courses, it is not uncommon for students to struggle and fail initially. However, repetition of coursework places an additional burden on the student, instructor, and institution. The purpose of this study was to compare the exam preparation strategies of repeating and non-repeating…

This article proposes an arts-based pedagogy that highlights embodiment in first-year composition (FYC). In particular, this pedagogy focuses on "transgenre composing," or the intersecting of visual art and writing. I argue that, when embraced alongside the rhetoric of health and medicine (RHM), transgenre composing facilitates inclusive…

Many medical schools have undergone curricular reform recently. With these reforms, time spent teaching anatomy has been reduced, and there has been a general shift to a pass/fail grading system. At Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), a new curriculum was implemented in fall 2016. The year-long human gross anatomy course taught in 2015…

The demand for upper-level undergraduate dissection-based anatomy courses is growing, as professional programs require more advanced anatomy training prior to matriculation. To address this need, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) partnered with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis--a large, urban, life science-focused…

While the number of students with disabilities in postsecondary programs has increased over the past few decades, they earn lower grades and are less likely to graduate. Academic outcomes are also worse for those with invisible disabilities such as ADHD and learning disabilities, especially as younger college students. Large, intro level courses…

Basic Human Anatomy at Indiana University is a large undergraduate anatomy class with nearly five hundred students in twelve lab sections. In the fall of 2018, we added the Virtual Human Dissector software on an interactive Sectra table to our lab to help students fill the gap between idealized anatomical models and fully prosected cadavers. We…

Curricular reform in medical education is a process that has been ongoing for quite some time. Major revision of medical curricula has been occurring since the early eighteenth century. In recent decades, curricular reform has had a monumental impact on the anatomical science subjects. This research investigated how specifically the anatomical…

The influence of class size and course length on student academic achievement has been evaluated. However, most of the studies have been done at the primary education level and their influence on study strategies has not previously been assessed. The data for this study were collected via surveys at the beginning and end of a first year medical…

Ongoing changes to medical education curricula in the United States require continued evaluation of best practices for maintaining and enhancing anatomical education in medical schools. The purpose of this study was to identify the impacts of incorporating an alternating dissection schedule, peer teaching, and self-directed learning (SDL) in the…

Integrating lecture and laboratory material from a human anatomy course can be difficult for undergraduate students. This study sought to examine the effectiveness of yoga poses as experiential learning techniques for the musculoskeletal system. Yoga Anatomy (YA) workshop instructors discussed muscle names, locations, and functions as they applied…

An understanding of human embryology is essential for students to better understand the subjects of human anatomy and physiology. However, human embryology is a challenging subject for many, since they must learn how anatomic structures and physiological processes develop over a period of time. Embryology texts typically use static,…

With integrated curricula and multidisciplinary assessments becoming more prevalent in medical education, there is a continued need for educational research to explore the advantages, consequences, and challenges of integration practices. This retrospective analysis investigated the number of items needed to reliably assess anatomical knowledge in…

Calls for reform in science education have promoted active learning as a means to improve student engagement (SENG). SENG is generally acknowledged to have a positive effect on student learning, satisfaction, and retention. A validated 14-question survey was used to assess SENG in a variety of upper- and lower-level physiology courses, including…

Anatomy faculties are integral to basic science instruction in medical schools, particularly given the preponderance of anatomic instruction in the preclinical curriculum. Recent years have witnessed major curricular restructuring and other emerging national trends that pose significant challenges to anatomists. An examination of anatomy faculty…

In 2008, the Indiana University School of Medicine, in collaboration with the School of Education, admitted its first student to a newly approved PhD program in Anatomy and Cell Biology focusing on educational research rather than biomedical research. The goal of the program is twofold: (1) to provide students with extensive training in all of the…