Dissecting Anatomy: Exploring the Perspective of the Repeating First Year Medical Student in Both an Open and Peer Teaching Gross Anatomy Laboratory Format

This qualitative case study examined the experiences and perceptions of repeating first year medical students in two different gross anatomy laboratory formats at the Indiana University School of Medicine—Indianapolis campus. In the fall of 2010, the students experienced the anatomy laboratory as an open laboratory. In the fall of 2011, peer teaching was implemented in the laboratory. This study sought to better understand how each format affected student-learning processes. Individual interviews, focus group discussion, and qualitative data analysis identified four major themes in repeating student perspectives in the gross anatomy laboratory: the loss and reclaiming of confidence; the intensification of accountability towards fellow students and future patients; the struggle for, and equalization of power; and the metamorphosis of "anatomy as parts" into "anatomy as body". The results highlight the complex, multifaceted learning experiences medical students have while dissecting, and in particular, while teaching their peers. Participants' experiences encompassed the intellectual aspects of learning anatomy but also transcended it to provide important perspectives on the educational, intrapersonal, and interpersonal dynamics present in the laboratory. © 2014, International Association of Medical Science Educators.