Research

Podium and Poster Presentations

Near-Peer Created Full-Length Practice Laboratory Practicals in Gross Anatomy and Embryology: Medical Student Support and Perceived Impact on Emotional Well-Being

9th Annual Medical Education Day, Greenville NC, April 2023. Poster presentation.

Dickerson K, *Doherty A, Askew E. Near-Peer Created Full-Length Practice Laboratory Practicals in Gross Anatomy and Embryology: Medical Student Support and Perceived Impact on Emotional Well-Being – Awarded first-place poster

Use of Supplemental Spaced Digital Image Identification Improved Student Performance on Medical Neuroanatomy Digitial Practical Exmas

9th Annual Medical Education Day, Greenville NC, April 2023. Podium presentation.

*Dickerson K, Brewer K. Use of Supplemental Spaced Digital Image Identification Improves Student Performance on Medical Neuroanatomy Digital Practical Exams – Awarded Outstanding Podium Presentation

Analysis of Faculty-Provided, Third Party, and Near-Peer Developed Resources in Medical Neuroscience: Utilization, Perceived Impact, and Preference of Medical Students

10th Annual Medical Education Day, Greenville NC, April 2024. Podium presentation.

Morgan M, Pugh B, Dickerson K, Brewer K. Analysis of Faculty-Provided, Third Party, and Near-Peer Developed Resources in Medical Neuroscience: Utilization, Perceived Impact, and Preference of Medical Students

Near-Peer Created Full-Length Practice Laboratory Practical's in Gross Anatomy and Embryology: An Effective Method for Learning in the Anatomical Sciences

10th Annual Medical Education Day, Greenville NC, April 2024. Poster presentation.

Dickerson K, Pugh B, Morgan M, Doherty A, Chadwick Q, Askew E. Near-Peer Created Full-Length Practice Laboratory Practical's in Gross Anatomy and Embryology: An Effective Method for Learning in the Anatomical Sciences and Sustainable Mode of Delivery - Awarded First Place Poster

Bridging the Gap in Medical Education: The Role of Near-Peer Created Resources in Anatomy and Embryology at the Brody School of Medicine

10th Annual Medical Education Day, Greenville NC, April 2024. Poster presentation.

K. Ryan Dickerson, Kegan Cox , Thomas Decker, Courtney Elliott, Micah Furr, Thekra Hindi, Taha Lodi, Julianna Roupas, Emily Askew. Bridging the Gap in Medical Education: The Role of Near-Peer Created Resources in Anatomy and Embryology at the Brody School of Medicine

Interprofessional Near-Peer-Created Resources in Gross Anatomy: Medical Student Support and Perceived Impact on Emotional Well-Being

10th Annual Medical Education Day, Greenville NC, April 2024. Poster presentation.

Bryce A. Pugh, K. Michael Kovasala, Taylor A. Creech, K. Ryan Dickerson, Craig L. Wuthrich. Interprofessional Near-Peer-Created Resources in Gross Anatomy: Medical Student Support and Perceived Impact on Emotional Well-Being - Awarded Third Place Poster

Innovative Approaches to Cadaveric Learning: Sustainable Near-Peer Mock Practicals

22nd Annual Innovations in Medical Education Conference, Los Angeles CA, February 7th 2025. Poster presentation. *Dickerson KR, Pugh BA, Morgan MR, Doherty AM, Chadwick QR, Askew EB. Innovative Approaches to Cadaveric Learning: Sustainable Near-Peer Mock Practicals

Past Teams and Initiatives

Anatomy Coursepack Drawings Development Team

Description: The team was tasked with creating high-yield, simplified anatomical drawings that can be completed in less than 30 seconds. These drawings are designed to provide essential relational information quickly, aiding students in recalling and understanding anatomical structures during test day scenarios. By focusing on key relationships and structures, these drawings help students reinforce their anatomical knowledge efficiently and effectively for exams.

Team Lead: Aakanksha Gundu

Team Members: Ryan Dickerson, Bryce Pugh

Embryo Coursepack Video Development Team

Description: This team was dedicated to producing high-quality videos that accompany the embryology section of the coursepack. The videos provide detailed explanations and visualizations of anatomical structures, enhancing the written content of the coursepack. By integrating visual aids with comprehensive explanations, these videos help students deepen their understanding of embryology, making complex concepts more accessible and aiding in retention for exams and practical applications.

Team Lead: Ryan Dickerson

Embryology Coursepack Question Development Team

Description: The team was responsible for crafting quiz and exam-level questions designed to assess students' understanding and mastery of embryological concepts, ensuring the questions accurately reflect the course content, advance clinical understanding, and provide effective practice opportunities for students.

Team Lead: Noah Holcomb

Team Members: Wendy Wang, Amber Beaman, Ryan Dickerson

Medical Neuroanatomy Lab Question Development Team

Description: The team was charged with creating virtual identification questions and higher-order correlation exercises for virtual practice lab assessments. These questions are meticulously designed to challenge students' understanding of neuroanatomy, requiring them to identify structures accurately while also demonstrating comprehension of their functional significance and clinical correlations, thereby enhancing their learning experience in the virtual lab environment.

Team Lead: Abigail Cole, Mack Morgan

Team Members: Wendy Wang, Vedika Modi, Ryan Dickerson

Mock Practical Design and Development Team

Description: The Mock Practical Design and Development Team focused on creating realistic, high-quality mock practical exams for medical students. By simulating the actual lab practical experience, this team ensured students were well-prepared for their exams. They meticulously designed each mock exam to cover essential anatomical regions and concepts, providing valuable practice opportunities that enhance students' identification skills and exam performance.

Team Lead: Ryan Dickerson

Team Members: Alex Doherty

Anatomy Coursepack Question Development Team

Description: The Anatomy Coursepack Question Development Team was dedicated to developing quiz and exam-level questions for each chapter of the BSOM coursepack. Their meticulously crafted questions are designed to test comprehension and reinforce key concepts, providing students with a thorough and effective study tool. By aligning questions with course objectives, this team ensures that learners were well-prepared for both quizzes and exams, enhancing their understanding and retention of the material.

Team Leads: Spencer Cook, Estefani Cota, Ryan Dickerson

Team Members: Julia Quirun, Kegan Cox, Quashawn Chadwick, Courtney Elliott, Juliana Roupus, Elizabeth Davidson, Connor Haycox, Taha Lodhi, Alex Doherty, Micah Furr

Gross Anatomy Digital Cadaveric ID Development Team

Description: The Gross Anatomy Digital Cadaveric ID Development Team focused on creating digital resources for cadaveric identification. By developing detailed visual aids and interactive tools, this team enhances students' ability to identify anatomical structures in a virtual setting. These resources are designed to supplement hands-on lab experiences, providing additional support for mastering cadaveric anatomy and improving practical exam performance.

Team Lead: Ryan Dickerson

Team Members: Mack Morgan

Medical Neuroanatomy Digital ID Development Team

Description: The Medical Neuroanatomy Digital ID Development Team specialized in creating digital identification tools for neuroanatomy. They developed visual aids and interactive resources to help students accurately identify neuroanatomical structures. These tools are designed to enhance learning and retention, providing a thorough understanding of neuroanatomy and preparing students for both practical and theoretical assessments.

Team Lead: Ryan Dickerson

Team Members: Mack Morgan

Medical Neuroanatomy Laboratory Identification Videos Development Team

Description: This team created educational videos focused on identifying neuroanatomical structures in the lab. Their informative content provides visual and practical guidance, helping students grasp complex neuroanatomy concepts. These videos are designed to enhance hands-on learning experiences, ensuring students can confidently identify key structures and excel in both practical exams and clinical practice.

Team Lead: Ryan Dickerson

Team Members: Mack Morgan

Gross Anatomy Coursepack Video Development Team

Description: This team is dedicated to producing high-quality videos that accompany the gross anatomy coursepack. Their videos provide detailed explanations and visualizations of anatomical structures, enhancing the written content of the coursepack. By integrating visual aids with comprehensive explanations, these videos help students deepen their understanding of gross anatomy, making complex concepts more accessible and aiding in retention for exams and practical applications.

Team Lead: Ryan Dickerson

Team Members: Bryce Pugh

Anatomy Mock Practical Digital Answer Key Development Team

Description: In improving the inital structure of anatomy mock practicals, this team focuses on creating digital answer keys for anatomy mock practical exams. By providing detailed, accurate answers and explanations, that included cadaveric and digital diagrams for each question, they help students understand and learn from their mock exams. These digital keys are designed to reinforce knowledge and improve identification skills, making them a valuable resource for exam preparation and enhancing overall anatomical comprehension..

Team Lead: Amber Beaman

Team Members: Wendy Wang, Ryan Dickerson, Sarah Burstein

Findings

Gross Anatomy Lab - Average of 20 pt increase on cadaveric identification with administration of mock practicals - Highly utilized by students (97%), with strong student support for future classes to participate (9.99 on 10 pt likert scale) - Students report decreased stress and anxiety on test day after involvement in mock practicals Gross Anatomy Classroom - Increased facilitation of content material with virtual lectures - Increased comfortability with material when utilizing course specific practice questions Neuroanatomy Digital ID - Digital ID flashcards associated with 15 pt improvement on test scores - Students showed strong preference for Near-Peer developed resources over third party resources, on par or slightly preferred to faculty resources

Impact

Administrative Support for Mock Practicals Recommended resources by office of student success and wellness Incorporation into primary course material in Medical Neuroanatomy Invitation to address students with resources during M1 orientation

Future Questions

* Resource utilization in Anatomy and Embryology: Which SCRUBS resources are most utilized as aids? How does utilization compare with course/third party aids? Are institutional funds better spent on supporting Near-Peer resources or supplying third party aids? * Lab skills training: How to effectively utilize lab based learning techniques as a tutor, student, and instructor. Which techniques are most effective? Which techniques should be avoided? How do you maximize time in the lab? * Resource utilization and impact on scores at BSOM; How do SCRUBS resources impact factors such as performance on medical school faculty exams and attrition rates?