120 - Leveraging the Anatomy Lab Experience for Human Flourishing

Poster Board Number: 120
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Ashton Rohrschneider - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn; Jessica Kranzlein - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn; Berkeley Sharpe - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn; Morgan Robinson - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn; Emily Burbank - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn; William Pearson - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn

Abstract Body : Introduction: A 2022 metanalysis by Almutairi et al. estimates burnout is as prevalent as 37% amongst medical students. In seeking sustainable solutions, human flourishing has been shown to correlate with reduced burnout and greater quality of life. Therefore, we implemented a developmental evaluation strategy with an objective to promote flourishing in the anatomy lab experience.

Methods: Developmental evaluation strategy involves engaging stakeholders, including administration, faculty, and students, with a rationale for social innovation. We engaged our stakeholders with the Kern National Network (KNN) for Flourishing in Medicine framework by discussing how to repurpose the anatomy lab for flourishing, including perspectives and practices to develop. Outputs included group responses to check-in questions for each lab. Outcomes included the short form of the secure flourishing index (SFI), the community subjective wellbeing (CSWB) measures, and narrative responses as a formative assessment. IRB approval was granted to evaluate longitudinal formative assessment data from the four Blocks of anatomy laboratory instruction.

Results: For the SFI, a repeated measures ANOVA (n=143 with >95% response rate for all blocks) shows statistically significant differences in mean individual flourishing scores by Block (F=2.81, p=.04), and Tukey HSD with alpha = 0.05 showing a significant increase in flourishing (p=.04, d=.32) from Block 3 (mean=45.4) to Block 4 (mean=46.6). Significant differences were found among flourishing domains (F=85, p< .0001) with meaning and character rating the highest and physical health as the lowest. ANOVA of CSWB scores showed a significant drop from Blocks 2 to 3 (p=.003) followed by an improvement in Block 4.

Conclusions: Implementing a developmental evaluation strategy to promote human flourishing in the anatomy experience correlated with individuals reporting a strong level of human flourishing (SFI) throughout a difficult year of medical education. CSWB data indicate they showed resilience and growth as a professional community through a difficult part of the academic year.

Significance: Medical educators have a responsibility to create environments that form students into future physicians who are equipped to engage human suffering as well as to impart knowledge. A developmental evaluation strategy for developing a flourishing approach to physician formation is a portable and scalable strategy that can be effective in any medical education environment.