PURPOSE
Foundational anatomy is essential to clinical competence, yet pre-clinical
students frequently have trouble integrating anatomical knowledge into
clinical reasoning. Traditional, content-dense approaches may limit retention
and application in early medical training. This program evaluation examined
the impact of an integrative, application-focused instructional strategy on
student engagement and learning outcomes in a pre-clinical anatomy
curriculum.
METHODS
An IRB-exempt, retrospective program evaluation was conducted using
routinely collected academic and instructional data from pre-clinical medical
students enrolled in a foundational anatomy course. The instructional
strategy emphasized clinical correlation, multimodal teaching, formative
assessment, and structured integration of anatomical concepts into case-based
learning activities. Outcome measures included examination performance,
course pass rates, student utilization of academic support resources, and
end-of-course evaluation data. Descriptive and comparative analyses were
performed to assess changes in performance and learner perceptions following
implementation of the instructional approach.
RESULTS
Following adoption of integrative instruction, students demonstrated
improved examination performance and higher overall course pass rates.
Increased utilization of academic support services was observed, suggesting
improvement in self-directed learning behaviors. Student feedback revealed
enhanced perceived relevance of anatomy to clinical training, improved
confidence in anatomical reasoning, and greater engagement during
instructional activities. Learners particularly valued structured clinical
correlations and opportunities to apply foundational knowledge within
authentic clinical contexts.
CONCLUSION
Integrative, application-focused anatomy instruction was associated with
improved academic performance and learner engagement in pre-clinical
students. Embedding anatomical concepts within clinically relevant frameworks
may enhance knowledge retention, promote self-directed learning, and
strengthen early clinical reasoning skills. These findings support adoption
of pedagogical strategies that emphasize applied learning to optimize anatomy
education in medical curricula.