Peer Physical Examination’ As A Tool For Learning Human Anatomy And Clinical Skills

Background: Academic achievement is considered as a key to judge one’s potentialities and capacities. Lowachievement may be related to poor self concept, lack of family involvement, damaging peer pressure, culturaldeprivation, study skill deficiency, emotional problems, physical illness, lack of academic motivation. Anatomyhas been considered a key element of medical education for centuries and has survived current challengingpedagogic test of time. The teaching hours of anatomy have been reduced but the traditional teaching predominatesand lacks integration and clinical correlate. As living and surface anatomy forms the bridge between clinicalpractice and gross anatomy; the reduced course hours compelled many medical institutes to upgrade thedevelopment of anatomical resources via new technological advancements and by inculcating living anatomysessions by peer examination, life models and imaging. Further evidence is needed to define which method ofanatomy teaching leads to the most effective clinicians and if the choice of method affects students. Peerphysical examination (PPE) was considered as one of the important and widely accepted teaching tool inconducting living and surface anatomy sessions. In the present study, PPE is used as a teaching tool to help lowachiever students to escalate their academic performance.Results: Two groups A and B are made of 25 each from 50 low achiever students. Five topics of living anatomywere taught with traditional method in group A and with PPE in group B. Then students were assessed byobjectively structured practical examination (OSPE) of both groups. There was statistically significant differencein scores of students in group A and group B.Conclusions: So we concluded that there is definitely an academic improvement in the low achiever students withthe use of PPE. But future studies are required to compare the findings presented here with those of other medicalcolleges. So that PPE can be included as a regular teaching tool to facilitate not only low achievers but all of thestudents for their academic enhancement and future goal of becoming competent and ideal clinician.

Living anatomy in the 21st century: how far can we go.

Living anatomy, defined as the anatomy revealed on living humans, is gaining importance in modern anatomy education, and has even been considered to replace cadaver-based anatomy study. We discussed the modalities through which living anatomy can be studied and explore the feasibility of using them to replace cadaver-based anatomy. We believe that the study of anatomy via the three main modalities of living anatomy, namely, surface anatomy, medical imaging and surgical procedures, rely on a foundation of sound knowledge of the three-dimensional anatomy. While a cadaver is still the best study material for the construction of a three-dimensional image of human anatomy, considering the pressure to reduce the hours geared towards anatomy education, education in anatomy in 21st century must be revolutionized to utilize the state-of–the-art modalities to formulate a contemporary anatomy course. Such modalities allow students to carry on self –directed learning, leading to a positive outcome in anatomy education. The problem arises if we have to incorporate more living anatomy, the time necessary for dissection needs to be minimized or compromised. We sincerely believe that the time has come to address this issue in the anatomy curriculum.