Bryan Vartabedian, MD, says the more some things change (communications and collaboration technologies), the more some things stay the same (anatomy classes):
What's exciting is that this next generation of physicians is in the position of changing the world in a way that we haven't seen in hundreds of years. How all this collective intelligence is harnessed and applied will revolutionize the practice of medicine.
What's less exciting is there are some things about medicine that will never change. Anatomy is a good example.
Despite the instruments available to this generation we still learn our craft by putting our hands on and in cadavers. While the way we communicate and share information is revolutionary, the human body is just as it always has been.
Interesting proposition. I'd like to put this question to our readers: In your experience - either as an educator or as a student - are there any examples where technology has changed the teaching of anatomy classes? Or has that vital piece of medical education remained essentially unchanged?
