Author: Jennifer K. Brueckner-Collins, Ph.D. – Distinguished Teaching Professor, University of Louisville School of Dentistry Author: Nicole R. Herring, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, University of Louisville School of Dentistry Submitter: Jennifer K. Brueckner-Collins, Ph.D. – Distinguished Teaching Professor, University of Louisville School of Dentistry
OBJECTIVES. At the University of Louisville, dissection-based dental gross anatomy instruction has traditionally been taught in a discipline-based manner in the spring term of the first year. In fall 2021, a new systems-based, integrated biomedical sciences curriculum was introduced, merging anatomy with biochemistry, histology and physiology, with a goal of more seamlessly relating how the body systems work together to relate to oral health on a gross and molecular level. This curricular integration required substantive modifications in the organization and delivery of dental gross anatomy content.
METHODS. Curricular integration reorganized dental gross anatomy instruction among two first year integrated courses, including a fall Biomedical Sciences Body Systems course and a spring Head and Neck Systems course. The fall course is organized into instructional units including foundational sciences, musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, renal/endocrine/reproductive and gastrointestinal systems. Gross anatomy instruction is presented at the beginning of each unit, providing a foundational primer on which microscopic study can proceed. By contrast, the spring course will be anatomy-centric, with cadaveric dissection playing a pivotal role in teaching and learning.
RESULTS. A strength of incorporating anatomy into the fall course is student exposure to anatomical relationships early in their training, so that this type of learning is not so foreign when introduced in the spring. A weakness is that fall curricular time allocated to anatomy has been reduced, emphasizing other disciplines, including biochemistry, physiology and histology. This poses the potential threat for inadequate preparation for head and neck anatomical mastery in the spring. Regardless, the new model presents a significant opportunity for more direct application of biomedical sciences knowledge in delivery of patient care.
