CADAVER-AS-PATIENT PROJECT:  TEACHING FIRST-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS TO WRITE SCIENTIFICALLY/MEDICALLY ACCURATE CASE STUDIES BASED UPON PATHOLOGIC FINDINGS ENCOUNTERED DURING DISSECTION OF THEIR GROSS ANATOMY CADAVERS

Jandy Hanna, Britt Sanford*, Robert Fisk, Donna Hermey, Peter Ward and Rebecca Pratt, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, WV 24901 U.S.A.

Purpose

The purpose of the Cadaver-as-Patient (CAP) project was to teach first-year medical students to effectively write scientifically/medically accurate case studies based upon notable anatomic and/or pathologic findings discovered during dissection of their cadavers.  The CAP project also encouraged students to forge an understanding between their discovered findings and the likely effects these pathologic conditions had on the health of the cadavers.

Throughout the gross anatomy course each group of three or four student dissectors wrote a series of three case study reports discussing pathologic findings discovered during their dissections.  Written reports were graded and returned to the students with comments and suggestions for improvements on subsequent reports.  A brief, structured, online questionnaire was provided to the students at the conclusion of the anatomy course, following submission of the final (third) paper.

The overall quality of the reports improved from the first submission to the last.  Initial results from the online questionnaire demonstrate that students became more familiar with medical databases and journals, as well as with proper medical/scientific writing style.  Students also learned about important clinical scenarios that may not arise during their other courses.

The CAP project satisfied its main goal of teaching first-year medical students to effectively write scientifically/medically accurate case studies.  The authors believe that this project is a unique method by which to emphasize the clinical relevance of gross anatomy and has the potential for integrating anatomy with other courses (e.g. clinical skills and pathology).