Virtual Interprofessional Dissections

Full Title:
Pivoting to Develop a Virtual Dissections Anatomy Course in Response to COVID-19: Lessons Learned & Future Opportunities

My Context:
Since 2009 the Faculty of Health Sciences’ (FHS) Education Program in Anatomy (Anatomy) and Program for Interprofessional Education Research and Practice (PIPER) have collaborated to offer an interprofessional dissection course.  This course is open to 30 learners annually across different FHS health professional programs: physician assistant, midwifery, speech language pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing and medicine. The onset of the global pandemic and the need to deliver virtual learning opportunities required the course to be re-developed for the winter 2021 term. 

My Development Idea:
In response to COVID-19, Anatomy and PIPER piloted a virtual alternative to the interprofessional dissections course. The revisions included high resolution cadaveric dissection videos, which the course facilitators taped over the fall of 2020, and modified instructional plans – which included four evening sessions over an eight-week period.  Sessions started with a brief anatomy presentation on a body structure of interest, followed by a scope of practice presentation in a given discipline (i.e., PT, Med, etc.). Students were then divided into breakout rooms and invited to address a case study with peers from a range of professional programs. Finally, the session  ended with a virtual dissection video with live comments from the instructors.

My Problem I Have Insights On:
The use of a virtual, interprofessional dissections course allowed for anatomical learning to occur in a clinically relevant and interprofessional manner despite the need to deliver content virtually. This course has provided insights on how to engage groups of interprofessional learners using the common language of anatomy in a virtual format.