Assistant Professor Regis University Denver, Colorado, United States
Abstract Body : INTRODUCTION
Medical education literature suggests that the implementation of group projects requiring medical students to create a presentation on an anatomical variation or pathological finding observed while dissecting can enhance various professional competencies. However, literature on such an intervention tailored to an anatomy course for doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students is lacking. Thus, a project requiring dissection groups to present on either an anatomical variation or pathology exhibited by their cadaveric donor was developed and integrated into an anatomy course for first-semester DPT students. The objective of this study was to examine students’ perceptions of the educational intervention’s relevancy for DPTs as well as its efficacy with respect to the promotion of critical thinking, self-directed learning, and clinical application of anatomy content.
METHODS
In this IRB-approved study, DPT students were asked to complete a post-presentation questionnaire exploring their perceptions of the educational intervention. The questionnaire featured a 6-point Likert scale, allowing students to express their level of agreement (strongly disagree, disagree, slightly disagree, slightly agree, agree, strongly agree) to statements inquiring about the relevancy and efficacy of the intervention. Descriptive statistics were employed for analysis using SPSS.
RESULTS
Following the intervention, 94% of students (n=79) completed the questionnaire. The median and mode for each Likert item were consistently high at 5 (agree). Notably, 79.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed ‘This project facilitates clinical application of the foundational sciences,’ with 51.9% at 5 and 27.8% at 6. Moreover, 78.5% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed ‘This project is relevant to physical therapy,’ with 57% at 5 and 21.5% at 6. Finally, 76% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed to the statements ‘This project is pertinent to an anatomy course’ and ‘This project promotes critical thinking.’
CONCLUSION
These findings highlight that a majority of students perceived the educational intervention as: 1) pertinent to anatomy education, 2) facilitating clinical application of content, 3) promoting critical thinking, and 4) relevant to physical therapy. Thus, it can be deduced that the intervention was perceived as a beneficial project to incorporate into a DPT anatomy course by students.
SIGNIFICANCE
Educators can adapt this clinically-based, cadaveric laboratory project based on the health profession students within their anatomy courses. By doing so, educators can promote crucial professional skills such as the application of anatomical knowledge in a clinical context, critical thinking, and self-directed learning among their students.
