Implementation of an education-focused PhD program in anatomy and cell biology at Indiana University: Lessons learned and future challenges

In 2008, the Indiana University School of Medicine, in collaboration with the School of Education, admitted its first student to a newly approved PhD program in Anatomy and Cell Biology focusing on educational research rather than biomedical research. The goal of the program is twofold: (1) to provide students with extensive training in all of the anatomical disciplines coupled with sufficient teaching experience to assume major educational responsibilities upon graduation and (2) to train students to conduct rigorous medical education research and other scholarly work necessary for promotion and tenure. The 90 credit hour curriculum consists of biomedical courses taught within the School of Medicine and education courses taught within the School of Education, including courses in health sciences pedagogy, curriculum development, learning theory, quantitative, and qualitative research methods, statistics, and electives. To date, 16 students have entered the program, seven have passed their qualifying examinations, and five have earned their PhD degrees. Four students have received national recognition for their educational research and four graduates have obtained faculty appointments. Going forward, we must adapt the program's biomedical course requirements to incorporate the new integrated curriculum of the medical school, and we must secure additional funding to support more students. Overcoming these challenges will enable us to continue producing a small but stable supply of doctoral-level anatomy educators for a growing academic market

Rapid changes in shape and number of MHC class II expressing cells in rat airways after Mycoplasma pulmonis infection

This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.Mycoplasma pulmonis infection in rodents causes a chronic inflammatory airway disease with a strong immunological component, leading to mucosal remodeling and angiogenesis. We sought to determine the effect of this infection on the shape and number of dendritic cells and other major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expressing cells in the airway mucosa of Wistar rats. Changes in the shape of subepithelial OX6 (anti-MHC class II)-immunoreactive cells were evident in the tracheal mucosa 2 days after intranasal inoculation with M. pulmonis. By 1 week, the shape of the cells had changed from stellate to rounded (mean shape index increased from 0.42 to 0.77). The number of OX6-positive cells was increased 6-fold at 1 week and 16-fold at 4 weeks. Coincident with these changes, many columnar epithelial cells developed OX6 immunoreactivity, which was still present at 4 weeks. We conclude that M. pulmonis infection creates a potent immunologic stimulus that augments and transforms the OX6-immunoreactive cell population in the airways by changing the functional state of airway dendritic cells, initiating an influx of MHC class II expressing cells, and activating expression of MHC class II molecules by airway epithelial cells

Developing an Anatomy Education PhD Program: Key Lessons and National Trends

PRESENTATION OUTLINE Brief history of the Education Track PhD Program What was our rationale for the Education Track PhD program? How did we develop our program and gain university approval? What are some of the key lessons we learned? What does our Education Track curriculum look like? Where do our Education Track graduates go? How do we pay for our program? Have other schools developed similar programs?American Association for Anatomy - Anatomy Education Research Institut

How the distinctive cultures of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools affect the careers, perceptions, and institutional efforts of their anatomy faculties: A qualitative case study of two schools

Anatomy faculties are integral to basic science instruction in medical schools, particularly given the preponderance of anatomic instruction in the preclinical curriculum. Recent years have witnessed major curricular restructuring and other emerging national trends that pose significant challenges to anatomists. An examination of anatomy faculty perceptions at two philosophically distinct medical schools within this shifting climate provides an indicator of how different institutional characteristics may impact anatomy instruction and other faculty responsibilities. Semistructured interviews of anatomy faculty from a large, well-established allopathic medical school (Indiana University School of Medicine) and a small, new osteopathic medical school (Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine) were explored using qualitative thematic analysis. Four overarching themes were identified: (1) Institutional philosophies, such as affiliation with osteopathic versus allopathic medicine, have minimal impact on how the anatomical sciences are taught. (2) Differences in anatomy faculty experiences at these two institutions are largely driven by the institution's size and history. There is a disparity between institutions in the relative importance of teaching and research, but an ability to do research is important for both faculties. (3) Anatomy instruction and research agendas are driven by personal philosophies and interests rather than institutional philosophy. (4) Autonomy is highly valued by anatomists at both institutions. All the participants share a devotion to educating future physicians. In fact, this study identified more similarities than differences in these two faculties. Finally, we argue that shared educational resources and research collaborations can improve anatomy education and faculty development at both institutions. Anat Sci Educ. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists

Outsourcing Anatomists: A Model for Expanding Educational Outreach and Providing Supplemental Revenue to Anatomy Departments

The need for qualified anatomy instructors is rapidly expanding across the educational spectrum, from high school anatomy and physiology classes, to college preprofessional programs, to newly established health professional schools. In response to this growing demand for anatomical expertise, the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology of Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine established the IU Center for Anatomical Sciences Education (IU-CASE) to leverage its ample faculty resources in the pursuit of additional teaching opportunities outside the MD curriculum, thereby expanding the scope of the department’s teaching mission to include students who may not otherwise have the chance to learn anatomy. Utilizing anatomy faculty from across the medical school’s nine-campus system, IU-CASE provides fee-based educational services to other schools and programs in Indiana. Current clients include Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, IU School of Medicine at Muncie, Purdue University Department of Biology, and Indianapolis-area high schools. Now in its first year of operation, IU-CASE promises to earn significant supplemental revenue for the department, which can be used to offset salary inequities, provide bonus pay for teaching-intensive faculty, and support departmental programs.American Association for Anatomy Spring Meetin

Does Attending a Regional Medical Campus Influence the Training Outcomes of Family Medicine Residents?

Introduction: Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) is the largest medical school in the nation, with its main campus located in Indianapolis and eight regional medical campuses (RMC) distributed across the state. In this study, we compared the survey responses of family medicine residents who had attended medical school at the main campus in Indianapolis versus an RMC to see if there were any noticeable differences in their residency training outcomes. Methods: From 2012 to 2017, in the spring of each year, a cross-sectional survey was administered to all final-year family medicine residents graduating from the eleven family medicine residency programs in Indiana. A total of 519 out of 520 residents completed the survey. Of whom, 132 respondents indicated they had graduated from IUSM; 45 reported they had attended the Indianapolis campus and 87 had attended one of the RMCs in the state. Our dataset for this study was comprised of these 132 respondents. Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test were used to compare responses between groups. P-values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: In the ACGME competency areas, the residents who attended an RMC versus the Indianapolis campus were significantly more likely to report being fully competent in Medical Knowledge (90% vs. 76%, p = 0.032) and Systems-Based Practice (83% vs. 64%, p = 0.019). Additionally, the residents who attended an RMC compared to their Indianapolis counterparts reported significantly higher rates of being trained to serve rural populations (73% vs. 52%, p = 0.017) as well as being fully competent to serve rural populations (69% vs. 42%, p = 0.003). However, the residents who attended an RMC were no more likely to establish a practice in a rural area than were the residents who attended Indianapolis (18% vs. 17%, p = 0.845). Conclusions: Based on these self-reported data, the family medicine residents who attended an RMC may perceive themselves to be better-prepared in a few core competency areas, as well as in serving rural populations, compared to those who attended the Indianapolis campus. These findings suggest that IUSM’s complex statewide system of medical education may offer some unique advantages in preparing students for residency, especially in family medicine

Team-Based Learning (TBL) in Histology: Lessons Learned Through 7 Years of Experience

In 2006, we began the transition from a traditional lecture-based histology course to a TBL course, gradually adding more TBL exercises each year until the course was virtually lecture-free. Our laboratory sessions using microscopes and glass slides remained unchanged. We have previously reported that TBL produces learning outcomes comparable to those of lectures (Clin. Anat. 23: 474, 2010). Based on our trail-and-error experiences of the last 7 years, we now offer 4 key suggestions for successfully implementing TBL in histology: (1) Schedule the laboratory session before the corresponding TBL exercise. This permits the use of histologic images that students already have some familiarity with. (2) Limit Internet access during the TBL exercise, especially for clinically-oriented problems. Students can quickly find the “right” answer via search engines without understanding why it is correct. (3) When discussing the TBL exercise in class, call out the names of individual students to respond using a checklist of the team rosters. This sends a clear message that all team members must fully participate in the process and be prepared to explain and defend the team’s answers. (4) At the conclusion of the TBL exercise, provide a “take-home message” about what the students are expected to understand about the topic. Students often fail to connect what they see in lab or read in the text with the problems presented in the exercise.American Association for Anatomy Spring Meetin

The Efficacy of Team-Based Learning in Histology

Team-Based Learning (TBL) is an instructional strategy in which traditional lectures are replaced with in-class activities that promote group discussion and active learning. Students are expected to master the basic facts and concepts of the subject matter prior to coming to class. We sought to determine whether the knowledge obtained using TBL is comparable to that obtained using traditional lectures, and whether students have a preference for either instructional method. From 2006-2008, the students in a graduate histology course were taught the structure and function of the basic tissues using TBL. Other topics in the course were taught using lectures, so the students experienced both instructional methods. Using the same 59 multiple-choice questions, we tested the students’ knowledge about the basic tissues, and compared the results to those obtained in 2005, when the basic tissue material was taught using lectures. In 2006-2008, the mean ± SD exam performance after TBL (87.5 ± 7.5, n = 32; 83.9 ± 11.1, n = 36; 78.9 ± 13.2, n = 24) was similar to that observed in 2005 after lectures (82.7 ± 12.0, n = 39). When asked to respond to the statement, “I prefer TBL sessions rather than traditional lectures”, 40.4% of the students agreed or strongly agreed, 23.4% disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 36.0% had no opinion (89 of 92 students responding). These results suggest that TBL and lectures produce comparable learning outcomes, at least as measured on a multiple-choice exam, and that students have a mild preference for the TBL format.American Association of Clinical Anatomists Annual Meetin

A Family Day program enhances knowledge about medical school culture and necessary supports

BACKGROUND: A Family Day program was implemented at Indiana University School of Medicine to educate the families and friends of in-coming medical students about the rigors of medical school and the factors that contribute to stress. METHODS: Surveys that assessed knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about medical school were administered to participants before and after the program. RESULTS: After the program, participants showed a significant improvement in their understanding of medical school culture and the importance of support systems for medical students. Post-test scores improved by an average of 29% (P < 0.001) in each of the two years this program was administered. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of family members and other loved ones in pre-matriculation educational programs may serve to mitigate the stress associated with medical school by enhancing the students' social support systems

Essentials of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Medical Students and Residents: A Web-Based Course for Self-Instruction

Because physicians are increasingly seeing patients who use CAM therapies, they need to be aware of the potential harm some of these therapies pose. The objective of this project was to develop brief, self-contained lessons that teach the fundamental concepts of CAM and the use of herbal medicines. Each PowerPoint® lesson presents basic information about major aspects of CAM, which can usually be completed in less than 30 minutes. The course will be made available via ANGEL, an internet-based course presentation and management system. To assess understanding of the material, students have the option of taking a brief online quiz at the conclusion of each lesson. The first six lessons comprise a general overview of CAM that exposes the student to a broad variety of “popular” CAM topics: Introduction, Alternative Medical Systems, Mind-Body Interventions, Manipulative Therapies, Energy Therapies and Biologically-Based Therapies. The last four lessons focus on herbal remedies, their uses, actions, and precautions: Pharmacological and Clinical Aspects of Botanicals, Botanical and Herbal Medicines, Herbal Medicines and Drug Interactions, and Patient Education and Advising. This course simply presents information and neither promotes nor condemns the use of CAM. The intent is to expose physicians-in-training to CAM information in a self-paced, time-efficient manner that will enable them to practice safe and effective medicine in a population that typically uses one or more forms of CAM.IUSM Educational Research and Development Gran