Introduction: Medical schools were incorporating active learning strategies in anatomy teaching to accommodate diverse student bodies. Formative assessment and art as a hands-on learning method had been explored as alternatives to traditional teaching methods. Those methods allowed students to practice and assess their understanding of anatomy as they progress. The current study investigated the effectiveness of "Art in Anatomy" lab sessions in enhancing preclerkship medical students' comprehension of challenging anatomical topics and determining if differences were related to their year in medical school.
Methods: This study involved 41 pre-clinical year medical students at CUSM-SOM who participated in "Art in Anatomy" sessions. Results showed pre-session and post-session quiz scores, with differences calculated for first-year and second-year medical students.
Results: The study revealed a significant skew in pre- and post-session data, with Year 2 students showing lower mean and smaller range on pre-session quiz scores. Post-session quiz scores showed higher mean and median scores but reversed on post-session. Both Year 1 and Year 2 students showed improved scores, with 68% experiencing a score increase of 0, 1, 3, or 4 points, and 32% experiencing a 2-point increase.
Conclusions and future directions: Art in Anatomy sessions could effectively support medical students in learning human anatomy during pre-clerkship years. The method provided formative feedback, aiding immediate recall of anatomical knowledge. Future research should explore different art forms and correlate post-session quiz scores with other students' exam scores, such as End of Course, NBME, and practical exam scores.
Keywords: Art in Anatomy; Assessment; Formative Feedback; Medical Education; Pre-clerkship Curriculum.