131 - Incidental Finding of a Hairy Esophagus in the Gross Anatomy Dissection Laboratory: Opportunities for Teaching and Learning

Poster Board Number: 131
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Alexis Chandler, B.Sc. - Medical Student, Pathology, Anatomy, and Laboratory Medicine (PALM), West Virginia University School of Medicine; Obadah Tolaymat, B.Sc. - Medical Student, Pathology, Anatomy, and Laboratory Medicine (PALM), West Virginia University School of Medicine; Hayley Harman, B.Sc. - Medical Student, Pathology, Anatomy, and Laboratory Medicine (PALM), West Virginia University School of Medicine; Abigail Cowher, B.A. - Medical Student, Pathology, Anatomy, and Laboratory Medicine (PALM), West Virginia University School of Medicine; H. Wayne Lambert, Ph.D. - Professor and Vice Chair, Pathology, Anatomy, and Laboratory Medicine (PALM), West Virginia University School of Medicine; Matthew Zdilla, D.C. - Associate Professor, Pathology, Anatomy, and Laboratory Medicine (PALM), West Virginia University School of Medicine; David Rasicci, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Pathology, Anatomy, and Laboratory Medicine (PALM), West Virginia University School of Medicine

Abstract Body : Introduction and Objective
There is undoubtedly a benefit to the study of human anatomy in the setting of a dissection-based whole-body donor lab. Further, there is an untapped potential for added learning via exploration of post-surgical findings within the lab. Presented in this abstract is an educational workflow designed to structure the presentation of post-surgical anatomical findings (e.g. a hairy esophagus) to a cohort of graduate students.

Materials and Methods
Upon discovery of a free-flap replacement of esophageal structures, teaching assistants (TAs) and faculty members elucidated the surgical procedure performed, researched the indications, methods, and outcomes, and developed a succinct presentation, which was later given to learners in the dissection facilities. Concepts from the educational sidebar were incorporated into the written exam, further encouraging the students to engage with the finding.
Workflow Algorithm
● Incidental discovery of post-surgical anatomy
● Involve faculty members to further explore the finding
● Evaluate course expectations and confirm relevance to learning goals
● Develop a course learning objective
● Acquire decedent permissions and evaluate medical records
● Develop content for presentation
● Host delivery and answer questions
● Assess learning

Results
Graduate-level physician assistant and pathologist assistant students performed well on the post-surgical anatomy question added to their exam, which demonstrated understanding and interest in the incidental finding. The teaching opportunity strengthened the TAs understanding of post-surgical outcomes and provided a real-world picture of surgical methodology.

Conclusion
Post-surgical anatomy can provide novel insight into medicine for pre-clinical healthcare students, and its exploration reinforces basic anatomy while providing students a clinical background for the content received in the classroom. Post-surgical anatomy can serve as a scaffold to launch discussion and inquiries about the function of certain anatomical features. Moreover, these findings give insight into how surgery may alter anatomical structures and enables TAs and professors to feed the curiosity of the students, increasing engagement beyond a typical anatomy laboratory experience.

Significance/Implication
Post-surgical analyses are beneficial to the anatomical training of future healthcare workers. The provided workflow establishes a mechanism for anatomy labs to allow students, TAs, and faculty members to document and explore unique findings to increase learning opportunities. This framework is simple, repeatable, and effective in deepening the anatomical understanding of students and teachers alike.