Mt. San Antonio College Anaheim, California, United States
Abstract Body : Effective practical and visual learning of anatomical innervation pathways is notoriously fraught with difficulty due to the nervous system’s complex interrelationships and obscured visualization beneath muscle. The benefits of exposing the entire nervous system for educational purposes are therefore obvious, but published resources describing this type of approach are minimal, perhaps due to perceived difficulty. Publishing guidelines to dissection removes the barrier of perceived need for expertise, can encourage more widespread adoption of this approach, and most importantly facilitates effective visual and experiential learning for students, thus promoting long-term retention. Herein, we detail a unilateral nervous system dissection by posterior approach, and argue for the educational advantages of this presentation. By publishing our approach to revealing the major nerve pathways, we hope to streamline the process for others to follow, and improve anatomical education for learners at all levels.
