Presented By: Chasity O'Malley, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
Co-Authors: Lindsay Benedik, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
Stephanie Johnson, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

Purpose
Integrating nutrition into undergraduate medical education poses challenges, especially when addressing the expansive topic of nutrients and their roles. Limited time in most medical school curricula exacerbates the difficulty. To address this issue, art has been utilized to inspire and motivate students toward self-directed learning. The incorporation of art as an active learning strategy has the potential to transform passive knowledge into a genuine comprehension of the subject matter, proving particularly advantageous when tackling complex subjects within a limited timeframe. This study investigates the efficacy of visual art as a tool for collaborative learning of vitamin and mineral toxicities and deficiencies in undergraduate medical education.

Methods 
The goal of the activity was to assist students in effectively managing the vast amount of information related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and toxicities and to acquire this knowledge in a meaningful and creative way. Students worked in groups of 6-7 to create a pictorial project to represent a vitamin or mineral deficiency/toxicity that merged art with science into their learning. A survey followed the activity to assess their perception of the activity.

Results 
Survey results showed that students enjoyed engaging in the activity and found the activity to be beneficial to their learning. Qualitative data also indicates preference for this method of content delivery compared to other styles.

Conclusions 
Designing sessions that allow students to interact with material in a creative, artistic manner can be both engaging and enjoyable. This preliminary study afforded students the opportunity to create their own study aids for vitamin and mineral deficiencies and toxicities, showing significant potential to become a fundamental component in active learning curricula. One limitation was the participation of only 15% of the learners in the survey, constraining the findings to a small cohort. However, this matches the participation for end of module review participation.