An investigation of alternating group dissections in medical gross anatomy.
BACKGROUND
Reduction in contact hours has led to the use of more efficient teaching approaches in medical education, yet the efficacy of such approaches is often not fully investigated.


OBJECTIVE
This work provides a detailed analysis of alternating group dissections with peer-teaching in Medical Anatomy (MA).


METHODS
MA I and II percentages of the alternating (ALT) and nonalternating (NALT) groups were compared, scores of ALT subgroups (A and B) were compared, and subgroup performance on practical exam questions was compared.


RESULTS
MA I and MA II percentages indicated no significant difference in median scores (pMAI=0.581, pMAII=0.223) between ALT and NALT. Subgroup analysis and assessment of question types showed that student performance and ability to identify a structure were not dependent on dissection group assignment.


CONCLUSIONS
Alternating dissections offered students more unscheduled time for independent learning activities, such as studying or shadowing preceptors, and reduced student-to-cadaver and student-to-faculty ratios by 50%. Alternating dissections with peer teaching were not detrimental to student performance.
Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
Adam B
AB
Wilson
Michael
M
Petty
James M
JM
Williams
Laura E
LE
Thorp
D000715:Anatomy / Q000193:education*; D002102:Cadaver; D003479:Curriculum; D004210:Dissection / Q000193:education*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D010379:Peer Group; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013663:Teaching; D014481:United States