Virtual Anatomy?

[parpar2222]

Hey guys! I was wondering if anyone has experience with virtual anatomy. I was recently accepted into BCOM and was just wondering if someone could give me an insight into what it's like if I choose to go there cause it seems like they don't work with real cadavers the first two years.

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[PathoTurnUp1865]

I would think that's a terrible way to learn anatomy but I've never done virtual anatomy. The reason I say that is because a cadaver looks completely different than netters. Things aren't always in the places they say they will be, you have variations, etc. I don't think you probably get to see those with virtual anatomy and that's pretty important.

 

[SurgDoc95]

The way BCOM rationalized it was as physicians you use imaging and tests to treat patients. Therefore, it's more. Beneficial to learn what the body looks like virtually with the anatomage tables (which are pretty sweet) and with imaging that you'll be looking at (MRI, CT scans, X-rays, etc). They allow you to do a full gross dissection as a third year if you're interested which I'd imagine will be mainly those students interested in surgery. Ultimately, seems like a good idea to me. Then again I do get to do a full gross dissection in my next and last semester of undergrad so I'm not going to be too upset if I don't get to do one

 

[parpar2222]

I agree 🙁 i mean there is an elective the third year to work with real cadavers it's just I want the real thing from the beginning. I don't understand why some medical schools don't offer both. I know SOMA has both a wet and virtual anatomy lab the first year.

 

[parpar2222]

The way BCOM rationalized it was as physicians you use imaging and tests to treat patients. Therefore, it's more. Beneficial to learn what the body looks like virtually with the anatomage tables (which are pretty sweet) and with imaging that you'll be looking at (MRI, CT scans, X-rays, etc). They allow you to do a full gross dissection as a third year if you're interested which I'd imagine will be mainly those students interested in surgery. Ultimately, seems like a good idea to me. Then again I do get to do a full gross dissection in my next and last semester of undergrad so I'm not going to be too upset if I don't get to do one

Oh yeah I remember them mentioning that. It's just I have never take anatomy before that's why.

 

[SurgDoc95]

Oh yeah I remember them mentioning that. It's just I have never take anatomy before that's why.

It's just one more time suck you have to do on top of everything else they're heaving your way in the first section of med school. Personally, I think not having to spend 8+ hours a week in a formaldehyde seeped room is kind of appealing, but to each their own!

 

[OrdinaryDO]

I personally dislike the idea of a virtual lab. I think hands on is where the learning begins and ends. A virtual anatomy lab, to me, is just a way to digitalization your textbook and read it from a high tech platform. In cadaver labs you have the chance to cycle through many different cadavers to learn different pathology and organ placements in other individuals. At BCOM, the elective in 3rd year is only over a few weeks with a preceptor guiding you and directing the cadaver with you. I just feel like the real learning experience is stripped away with virtual anatomy. I feel like 99% of medical schools aren't wrong by keeping cadaver labs over virtual anatomy labs. Maybe supplementing a cadaver lab with a virtual lab would be useful. Also, every school I interviewed at taught their students how to use and read imaging services from Sonography to MRIs.

 

[Dr. Death]

After spending 6 hours a week elbows deep in a cadaver I can tell you that cadaver anatomy is a huge waste of time. 85% of the time we are picking out fat or fascia, skinning, or cleaning up various small nerves and vessels. With a virtual anatomy you cut out all that BS time. Variations occur but it isn't like you are memorizing all the variations in cadaver lab. 99.9% of the time the variations found in a person don't affect them at all and would never affect treatment.

And don't give me this garbage about cadaver dissection being practice for surgery. It's completely irrelevant and first semester of medical school isn't where you hone your surgery skills anyway.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

After spending 6 hours a week elbows deep in a cadaver I can tell you that cadaver anatomy is a huge waste of time. 85% of the time we are picking out fat or fascia, skinning, or cleaning up various small nerves and vessels. With a virtual anatomy you cut out all that BS time. Variations occur but it isn't like you are memorizing all the variations in cadaver lab. 99.9% of the time the variations found in a person don't affect them at all and would never affect treatment.

And don't give me this garbage about cadaver dissection being practice for surgery. It's completely irrelevant and first semester of medical school isn't where you hone your surgery skills anyway.

I can tell you from experience that practicing dissecting out planes and cleaning vessels and the like are definitely helpful for surgery. Now how much of that you'll remember by third year is another story, but if you retain any of it, you might at least be able to recall some of it.

Edit:
Ymmv of course. Some people just won't benefit from it.

 

[Dustbowl12]

cadaver lab is absolutely useless and time consuming. schools in general are moving towards
more virtual anatomy and it is about time. plus, BCOM has a one on one cadaver dissection option third year if you are really obsessed with wasting time

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Cadaver labs are a waste of time for students who don't enjoy it and take the time to learn. This may come in part due to schools overcrowding the cadavers and making it a chaotic wreck to learn, but I would much rather see a real cadaver and work on a real cadaver as opposed to a virtual lab. A cadaver does more than just teach you the anatomy, it helps you grow as a medical student becoming comfortable around deceased bodies and having a REAL feel for organs and tissue (even though it's not exactly the same, it's something). Virtual labs are nothing more than an enhanced screen projecting the same exact things I can find in textbooks or on my computer. The 3rd year optional cadaver lab isn't set up like how you would expect. I think if schools rely 100% on virtual labs, then they are going the wrong direction. However, I'm not sure where you got your information that most schools are headed this direction, because the majority of the brand new schools are building Very nice cadaver labs.

Edit: This is just an expression of my personal opinion. I am not saying anyone is right nor wrong for their beliefs, but I know what works for me and many of my classmates and this is what I think of it for the most part.

 

[cliquesh]

Its probably bad if you want to do surgery. It's probably fine for any non-procedural specialty. The physical exam, in general, is not very reproducible, sensitive or specific for anything.

If it is MRI and CT images it would actually be pretty helpful. If it's just netter or some other illustrations it would be useless.

 

[ortnakas]

My school has virtual anatomy. I hated it first year, but I did well on the anatomy portion of COMLEX and I don't think it's impacted my skills as a third year.