Students Perceptions of an innovative and resilient approach in teaching human anatomy without cadaveric resources: the case of the Medical School of the University of Burundi

Abstract Background At the school of medicine of the University of Burundi, we have faced the challenge of lack of dissection facilities and cadaveric resources, and hence, we tried to use evidence-based alternative teaching methods to meet the student needs and enhance learning outcomes in anatomy. The aim of this study was to collect students’ perceptions regarding this innovative teaching method of anatomy and share our experience to professionals working in similar environments. Methods We have designed a multimodal approach where first year medical students were first exposed to the topics during lectures and practical sessions were held afterwards in small groups using four materials including: YouTube dissection videos, 3d plastic models, anatomy drawings and the 3D4Medical virtual anatomy app. A Likert scale questionnaire including questions regarding the perceived achievement of learning objectives, 3d understanding of the structures and engagement with the content was distributed to them. Moreover, we have performed paired samples contingency tables and McNemar tests to check the statistical significance of the results in comparing the different didactic methods. Results The majority of the students had positive perceptions regarding the multimodal approach. They preferred the combination of lectures and practicals rather than these didactic methods used separately (p<0.001). Furthermore, regarding the tools used in the practical sessions, the combination of the tools was also significantly preferred (p<0.001). The virtual anatomy app was significantly superior to the YouTube dissection videos in perceived achievement of 3d understanding (p=0.018). Moreover, the students agreed that being taught anatomy by surgeons has helped in bringing in more context that is useful to transfer the learnt knowledge into real life situations (p<0.001). Conclusion Efficient teaching of anatomy without cadaveric materials can be achieved by combining multiple didactic tools that promote active learning and enhance 3d understanding of the material.