GRADING POLICY

MEDICAL CLINICAL ANATOMY

The course is graded by the Pass/Fail system. Methods of evaluation consist of 3 laboratory practical examinations and 3 oral quizzes to be administered in the lab shortly prior to the major exams and three written MedFoundations II examinations which will include questions from the Clinical Anatomy section of this unit.

The purpose of the oral quizzes is 3-fold:

● to assist students in reviewing for the exams

●to ensure that dissection is complete and that each table is maintained in meticulous condition

●to afford each lab group one-on-one contact with an instructor

The laboratory examinations are comprehensive, including structure identification and theory questions designed to test the material taught in lecture. It includes questions on osteology, embryology, and clinical correlation

The laboratory practical examination requires explanation to those students unfamiliar with this type of test. In order to be sure that everyone understands the mechanics of the lab exam, a “practice practical” will be administered shortly before the first (Lower Limb) exam. The results of this test will not be recorded but will serve as an indicator to each student as to how well he or she is mastering the material.

Oral quizzes are based on a 15-point scale; they are awarded to the dissection group as a whole. They are intended to evaluate:

● quality and completeness of dissection

●general knowledge and understanding of the dissection, related osteology and lecture material

●neatness and cleanliness of the dissection table and surrounding area

●teamwork and professionalism in group interaction

The MedFoundations II written examinations will include questions from Clinical Anatomy as well as from Physiology, General Pathology and Pharmacology as well as integrated questions from these areas.

The final course grade will be based on the results of these exams and quizzes:

Lower Limb/Back Lab Quiz 5%

Lower Limb/Back Lab Practical 15%

MedFoundations II Written Exam I 5%

Upper Limb Lab Quiz 5%

Upper Limb Lab Practical 15%

MedFoundations II Written Exam II 10%

Thorax/Abdomen/Pelvis Lab Quiz 5%

Thorax/Abdomen/Pelvis Lab Practical 20%

MedFoundations II Written Final Exam 20%

How to Succeed in Anatomy:

This course is unlike any other course you will take in Medical School, and probably any course you have ever taken. It is specifically designed to prepare you for your Step I Boards and for success in the third year clerkships. It will involve a significant amount of active-learning, a method of instruction in which students are responsible for generating their own knowledge base. Research has consistently shown that well-designed active-learning improves short and long term retention of information, improves critical and analytical thinking skills and encourages life-long learning - all of which are essential to clinical practice.

Because of its reliance on dissection as a primary means of instruction, gross anatomy has always incorporated an active-learning component. For this reason attendance in labs is required. In this course you will acquire most of the core information of anatomy from one or more designated sources. A list of learning objectives, given at the beginning of each syllabus chapter, will help guide you through this process and provide you with opportunities to reinforce your understanding of the material.

This hard copy syllabus, popularly known as the “orange syllabus”, is designed to be used as a supplement and companion to the online materials (lecture slides and recordings) for Clinical Anatomy. It is the official syllabus used in this course. It has been undergoing extensive revision each year to include specific course objectives for each lecture topic, while also including images from Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy. It also contains, as an Appendix and found on TUSK, a brief guide to each lab dissection which specific objectives and structures to be identified.

The syllabus is a compendium of:

●Practical information regarding the course

●Outlines, including learning objectives, for most of the course lecture topics

●Structure lists (“pink sheets” to be used as laboratory objectives and study guides for identifications on exams

●Miscellaneous pages such as

○Introductory material, including definitions of common anatomical terms and an overview of different tissue types encountered in gross anatomy

○ “Dr Merk’s mnemonics”, which have been included at the fond suggestion of previous classes

○A list of useful websites

You will quickly come to realize which lecturers have included their notes and images in this orange syllabus, and which have posted their slides on TUSK. It’s a good idea to preview each lecture by looking at the images in this syllabus or online. Many students print out their slides for lecture and bring them to class.

You may also wish to study, but are not required the appropriate sections of the Online Syllabus for each region of the body: extremities, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, head & neck. Many students find it helpful to preview this material before the lecture in the indicated topic, and to reinforce the lecture content afterwards by reviewing it.

There are as many ways to learn anatomy as there are students in your class. Each of you will learn, through trial and error, which unique combination of the various resources: orange hard-copy syllabus, online syllabus, lecture material, Moore’s “blue boxes”, atlases, etc, works best for you. Sometimes the abundance of resource material can be overwhelming and intimidating. If you feel discouraged, do not hesitate to talk to the course instructors about your concerns. We will help you find the study strategy that is best suited for your needs.

Mastering anatomy is a challenge on many levels. It should also be a spiritually and emotionally rewarding experience. What many beginning students do not realize is that it can also be fun. We have tried to increase the likelihood that this course measures up to your expectations, and we hope that you will enjoy the ride.

RFW, November 2011