INVESTIGATIONS OF ANATOMICAL VARIATIONS OF THE THORAX AND HEART AND ANATOMICAL KNOWLEDGE FOR FIRST YEAR MEDICAL DENTAL AND PODIATRY STUDENTS

Abstract

The universal presence of anatomy in healthcare professions is undeniable. It is a cornerstone to each of the clinical and basic sciences. Therefore, further expansion of current anatomical knowledge and effective methods to teach anatomy is essential. In this work, the relationship of the dorsal scapular artery with the trunks of the brachial plexus is explored with the hope that information on anatomical variation will assist neurosurgeons in sparing these structures during clinical procedures. Additionally, structures involved in biventricular pacing procedures, such as the coronary sinus and Thebesian valve, are explored for their variations in both presence and presentation. Simulations of cannulations with both 7F and 8F guiding catheters were used to collect data regarding the length of travel of a catheter within the coronary sinus. This study aimed to expand current knowledge of the coronary structures that are of importance to electrophysiologists. Furthering knowledge of how best to teach anatomy to healthcare professionals was also an aim of this work. The first education study explored whether the method of instruction affected student success in a basic science course. This study also investigated the degree of knowledge mastery that healthcare professional students had achieved in gross anatomy, microanatomy and physiology during their first year physiology course. The students were assessed at the knowledge, comprehension, application and analysis levels of Bloom's taxonomy in each discipline. A pilot study explored the degree of prior knowledge in human gross anatomy that the same healthcare professional populations (medical, dental and podiatry) possessed before beginning the first year general gross anatomy course in their healthcare curriculum. The ability for these students to evaluate when they had answered a gross anatomy question correctly and when they had answered a question incorrectly (metacognition) was explored. All four studies in this work provide further insight into anatomical education in both the clinical and basic science environments.