Block Description

This block emphasizes the application of anatomical knowledge to clinical practice. Students will explore the human body using a virtual 3D program (Anatomy.TV), revealing the anatomical basis for performing clinical procedures and conducting the physical exam. In addition, students will learn how to assess which structures may be injured or diseased based on a patient presentation. The Clinical Anatomy Block occurs primarily in small laboratory groups, so that students can develop visual, audio and kinesthetic learning skills at the ‘bedside’. This experience is made possible by the generous gifts of the willed body donors. The block also includes activities that are designed to develop skills in critical thinking and professional teamwork, and help students prepare for the exams.

Learning Objectives

Educational Program Objectives are a subset of more broadly defined physician competencies, which represent general domains of performance for which the profession and the public hold physicians accountable.

Upon completing the Clinical Anatomy block, students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate empathy and respect for willed body donors and colleagues throughout all anatomical learning activities.
  • Work cooperatively and effectively within a small-group.
  • Engage in hands-on, multimodal ('bedside') learning by integrating visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches.
  • Identify major organs, vessels, nerves, bones, ligaments, muscles and tendons on the willed body donors, anatomical models and images.
  • Use standard anatomical terminology to describe anatomical structures and their 3D relationships.
  • Apply knowledge of structural and functional anatomy—including three-dimensional relationships, muscle actions and innervation, sensory and vascular territories, and lymphatic drainage—to explain clinical presentations, determine what is targeted or avoided during basic clinical procedures, and predict the spread of infection and disease.
  • Recognize how structural racism, unconscious bias, and cultural humility influence clinical anatomy, health disparities, and patient care.