Beginning with a presentation of emerging literature related to virtual microscopy this talk proceeded to define virtual microscopy, virtual slides and a virtual laboratory, followed by how a virtual slide is created, including digital data in a histological slide.  Commercial vendors that provide virtual slide acquisition equipment were highlighted.  Results of surveys of North American Medical Schools regarding virtual microscopy in teaching histology and pathology were presented. 

 The talk proceeded to share experience at the Medical University of South Carolina where, for the past two years, there has been no assigned laboratory sessions in the medical histology course except for the first lab used to teach how to use a microscope and demonstrate the difference between digital images, virtual slides and glass slide specimens viewed with a microscope.  Our students used a web accessible program, WebMic that consists of 160 specimens presented in 1,000 images at different magnifications retrievable with labels for important structures including self-assessment tools.  A companion manual was described that has been used by our students to facilitate the use of WebMic with the majority accessing from their residences.  As measured by performance on practical exams and positive feedback from students, WebMic has been a success.  Five conferences (small group format, 1 faculty:15 students) were described that assessed the students progress in a defined period of independent study. Student feedback/exam performance supported the success of the conferences and independent study by the class. 

 The talk concluded with presentation of mean scores of the past 7 years of administering the same microscope ‘pass-the-slide’ practical exam of 25 items where the student was given 2 minutes for each slide to identify the correct organ.  During the 1999 – 2000 academic years when microscopes and glass slides were an integral part of the course and the ‘pass-the-slide’ practical counted 10% of the grade, the mean scores were 89% and 90%.  During years 2001-2003 when microscopes were not used for learning practical histology, performance on the identical practical exam was 47%, 46% and 55%.  WebMic was introduced in 2004 replacing the videodisc and used alone for two years during which mean scores on the same practical examination increased to 69%.  In 2006, virtual slides were made a more integral part of the course that included a 25 item organ identification practice practical quiz using virtual slides.  The 2006 mean score of the microscope ‘pass-the-slide’ practical exam was 82%, a 13% increase in one year. For each year students were invited to report how much time they invested in using the microscope to prepare for this exam.  With the exception two years, 1999 and 2000, when microscope use was required, no student reported spending any more than 6 hours. Two observations were made: 1) WebMic helped improved performance on this exam because students could scan and move the images and 2) Virtual Slides had an added positive effect because of the closer simulation to real microscopy.  Microscopes and glass slides were retained in a novel way with minimal use in a histology course.

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