Melissa Quinn, PhD, and COSI develop program to introduce anatomy to the community
The Division of Anatomy through The Ohio State University College of Medicine is collaborating with COSI on the modification and creation of a program called Anatomy in Action as part of its community-based education workshops. The program, led by Melissa Quinn, PhD, assistant professor, Director Division of Anatomy Outreach and Community Programming, has been completely retooled to revolve around the question: “What is anatomy and how is it used clinically?”
The new program is a one-hour workshop focusing on the wide reach of anatomy as a science. It includes an introduction of what anatomy is, the subdisciplines of anatomy and who uses anatomy. From there, the workshop includes six stations, each focusing on a different body system. The stations include the skeletal system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system, visual system and integumentary system. Each station will include basic anatomical information, clinical information tied to anatomy, a biographical sketch on a different type of clinician in that particular area and a clinical case the participants need to work through. The program will also highlight the anatomy program and the body donation program within the Division of Anatomy at Ohio State University. The workshop is scheduled to open this fall.
This ongoing program will be a part of COSI’s COSI on Wheels program and will be available on request. Teachers in Columbus can sign up for the Anatomy in Action program to get their students involved.
The program is tailored toward eighth graders through high school seniors with the hope of bringing in students who are taking science classes and interested in the health field.
This is the first time the College of Medicine’s Division of Anatomy has collaborated with a community facility and is a giant leap in community outreach for Ohio State, which hopes to target many young students to get involved in anatomy and pique their interest in the health and sciences field. The Division of Anatomy takes pride in its community outreach initiatives and hopes that this is just the beginning of collaboration with COSI.
COSI had a prior program that touched on anatomy; however, it asked the College of Medicine and the Division of Anatomy to revamp the program. With help from Ohio State, the program has been completely redesigned and has many different interactive components and multifaceted-learning opportunities about anatomy.
The Division of Anatomy at Ohio State hopes to communicate to students through this program that science can be exciting, fun and interesting, and that with a little bit of time they can learn a lot of new information about anatomy. In the short one-hour program, student participants will learn the limitless career opportunities of anatomy within the health and science field, and that it is not just limited to a physician role.
The overarching goal for the Division of Anatomy is that this program communicates to students how many different health fields are out there, and that the core component to each field is anatomy. This program should expose students to a broad expansion of anatomy and its possibilities for integration in future careers in science. Another goal is to spark students’ interest in anatomy and health and sciences field so they will want to continue their science education at The Ohio State University.
The Division of Anatomy is always open and willing to help the community at large and is proud to partner with COSI to bring anatomy to life. Working with the community and outreach is a main pillar the Division of Anatomy serves and why it is here. The entire faculty and staff in the Division of Anatomy at The Ohio State University plan to volunteer and play a part in this new program that should bring together students and anatomy.
