Gross anatomy dissections and self-directed learning in medicine.

The Medical School of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM, Albacete Spain) was launched in 1998 and is the most recent one in Spain. Teaching is based on small groups of students (20-25 students/group). An objective-oriented self-learning approach provides maximal autonomy and independence in the achievement of objectives by the students in close association with academic staff. Gross Anatomy courses take place in the first and second years. The one in the first year is a single 10-credit course, where one credit equals 10 hr of teaching activity. In the second year, Anatomy and Embryology are integrated with Physiology and Histology, and comprise 70 credits altogether. In addition, all students carry out two mandatory gross anatomical dissections per year, in groups of three students, to allow direct handling of human anatomical material. Students are provided with handouts containing general instructions on how to perform the dissection and the structures (items) that they must expose in a given period of time (4 hr). Afterward, a Faculty member checks the number of items demonstrated and the quality of the dissection. Each group submits a written report that contributes to the final score. We evaluated the number of items shown in each of two consecutive dissections for first and second year medical students. The data obtained indicate that students engaged in self-directed learning through small groups working with Faculty staff are able to self-improve their anatomical skills.