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The Educational Affairs Committee has been reorganized and has two co-chairs. Mike Casey ( mcasey@uab.edu ) and David Porta ( dporta@bellarmine.edu ) have undertaken the task of planning/co-ordinating upcoming Committee projects as well as agenda for the Annual Scientific Sessions. The committee is comprised of these two individuals and all intereste d members of the Association. If you are interested in assisting with any of the projects liste d below, or have ideas for additional areas of interest, contact Mike or David.
Watch this page for updated information on the activities of this committee and its membership:
Current areas of committee interest/activity:
Dental anatomy education:
Various members are interested in compiling a document that lists the minumum contents for a dental gross anatomy course - similar to the diocument prepared by the Educational Affairs Committee in the past with regard to medical anatomy courses. Members on this committee are Brett Oxberry ( oxberry@vm.temple.edu ) - Chair; Terence Ma ( tpm@anat.umsmed.edu ) and Brian MacPherson ( brmapc@pop.uky.edu ). A close liasion with the American Dental Education Association's (ADEA) Anatomical Sciences Section is planned.
Establishing liasion with other professional groups:
Mark Jensen ( mark_jensen@und.nodak.edu ) reported on the AACA workshop at the 2001 Association of Surgical Educators (ASE) meeting in Nashville, TN that he and David Page co-ordinated. The event was entitled `` Who Shot Clinical Anatomy.... and why do they want it to go away? ". The workshop was run in two sessions and was presented by Benton Adkins, Art Dalley, Brian MacPherson and Mark Jensen.
This initiative was borne out of the Educational Affairs Committee symposium at the16th Annual Meeting of the AACA in Iowa City (June, 1999). The symposium discussed the declining role of anatomy in medical education. Dr. Don Jacobs, Chair of the Curriculum Committee for the Association for Surgical Educators gave the keynote address at the Educational Affairs Symposium. An abstract of this presentation follows:
The declining emphasis on anatomic training in medical and surgical education: Where have all the organs gone? Donald M. Jacobs, MD. Program Director, Dept. of Surgery, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN., Chairman, Curriculum Committee, Association for Surgical Education.
As a practicing surgeon involved in surgical education for the past two decades I have noted an apparent decline in the average medical student's (and surgical resident's) comprehension of human anatomy. Finding those organs at laparotomy or on a CT scan just doesn't seem to happen as easily as it once did. I can think of few elements of a basic medical education which have a greater impact on the comprehension of physical diagnosis, interpretation of modern imaging studies and the accurate and safe application of invasive procedures. In the past few decades there has indeed been a steady decline in the amount of time given to anatomy training in medical school curricula. Much of traditional anatomic dissection has been replaced by prosection, demonstration and even computer simulation. Numerous reports in the literature support each of these newer methods as educationally effective. Why then do some of us perceive a problem? Is it a problem, and if so, how do we fix it?
The Association for Surgical Education was formed in 1980 and its members represent over 190 medical schools and institutions throughout the United States and Canada. Its primary goal is to promote the art and science of education in surgery. Specific objectives include: developing innovative teaching aids and programs and effective educational interventions; designing effective faculty development programs for surgical educators; promoting and supporting research in the surgical education field; and maintaining an educational clearinghouse which offers a variety of materials to be used by faculty and students in surgical education. Through several discussions over the past year, the Curriculum Committee of the ASE shares the concern of the AACA that basic education in human anatomy may be in decline. As I prepared for this presentation, however, it was apparent that the literature, though filled with interesting study and comment, does not provide a clear answer as to the magnitude of the problem or a clear solution if a problem exists. Before we make a credible argument to utilize more of our valuable educational resources on improving anatomic education we must attempt to document the deficiencies, quantify what will be gained by a change and at what cost. Curricular reform is slow and difficult at best. Yet those who are committed to the education of our medical professionals must feel empowered to speak out for what we feel is best, be willing to answer a challenge from those who disagree and work collegially toward a solution.
The Association for Surgical Education is composed of many physicians and educators who passionately believe that surgical education can and should be improved. I believe that our organizations could work together effectively to address this issue, to formulate an effective response and engage our medical schools in an effort to improve anatomic education. I sincerely appreciate being invited to your annual meeting and I look forward to further dialogue and collaboration with the AACA.
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