Cut Out the Scalpel : Anxiety Reduction Before the First Dissection Experience Using Multimodal Media

Abstract

<p>Objective:<br> Using a multimedia-integrated exercise on cadavers to reduce anxieties of first-year medical students prior to their first dissection.<p/>

<p>Rationale:<br> Dissection causes anxiety among matriculating medical students. With technological advancements, students can interact with cadavers beyond dissection. Prior computed tomography (CT) scan integration of cadavers was suboptimal, but full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) of cadavers as a learning tool has not been well studied and was explored in this study. Prior studies also explored anxiety at the first dissection. However, no study assessed anxiety and satisfaction pre/post-projection exercise guided by multimodal resources - before dissecting cadavers.<p/>

<p>Methods:<br> During the first gross anatomy laboratory, students accessed the Anatomy XRCore website directing them to Sketchfab 3D models, donor MRIs, and projection instructions. A post-exercise survey was included and differences in responses between students without prior dissection experience (ND group) and with experience (ED group) were compared by Fisher’s exact test or Chi-squared test for categorical variables, and Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables. Pre/post-exercise anxiety levels on a scale of 1-10 (10 = highest anxiety level) reported by a subsample group were compared by paired t-test.<p/>

<p>Results:<br> Among 63 responses (mean age: 25.3 ± 3.3; female 58.7%), 98% completed the exercise. ND represented 63.5% (n=40) and ED represented 36.5% (n=23). Most students reported that the surface projection exercise was helpful for initiating teamwork (93.8%) and reducing anxiety (77.4%). 57.5% of ND reported decreased post-exercise anxiety compared to 26.1% of ED (p=0.044). Regarding the subsample (n=44), the mean anxiety level of ND decreased from 4.2 ± 2.9 to 3.2 ± 2.2 (p < 0.001) while no difference was found among ED. On a five-question Likert subscale (5 = strongly agreed) the benefit of this exercise before dissection received a mean score of 4.3 from all students. 95% agreed that MRIs improved their understanding of spatial relations.<p/>

<p>Potential Impact or Lessons Learned:<br> Incorporating multimodal resources into an exercise that familiarizes students with human cadavers is perceived as favorable and decreases anxiety.<p/>