I attended a
symposium session presented by Dr. David V. Lenihan (Ph.D., J.D., FRSM), the
Chief Academic Officer of Arist Medical Education Corporation and past Dean of
Preclinical Medicine with the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. His
presentation was simple, short, and none-the-less brilliant. Describing
“Tomorrow’s Medical School,” Dr. Lenihan quickly focused his talk on
“monetizing 3d.” I like to call it cost
avoidance with 3D.
A
Worthy Case Study
The use of 3D
instruction, asserts Lenihan, can help create monetary advantages for higher ed
institutions. To Lenihan, this combination simply makes sense on a number of
levels. Remember
that:
- Cadavers are costly and difficult to maintain
- There is, of course, limited cadaver availability
- Cadaver training sessions cannot be repeated easily (one and done)
- Current cadaver availability offers little to no support for independent learning (since it’s one and done, there’s absolutely no room for second chances, more time or exposure, or repeated practice)
Lenihan adds: “Anecdotally, there are several limitations to
cadavers, including surgeries/removal of organs prior to cadaver
donation, the permanence of dissection itself, and a general “take what you can
get” reality when accepting cadavers for study.” And the challenges do not stop
there. Cadaver tissue is not the same as living tissue, he argues, cautioning
that “in the case of human anatomy, the cadaver can only do so much.” Finally,
he mentioned that cadavers are not the only resource in short supply. A severe
shortage of anatomy instructors currently exists.
That’s where 3D comes
in. His argument revolves around combining
3D simulation with smarter use of cadavers. He labels 3D sims + cadaver labs as
a modified anatomy program (MAP);
just cadavers, books and videos are considered the traditional anatomy program. By joining 3D simulation with
lab-based cadaver instructional experiences, immense savings can be realized
and quantified.
 |
| Comparing costs of traditional anatomy to MAP anatomy with 3D |
 |
| Traditional anatomy costs over time versus MAP costs over time |
By combining 3D visualization/simulation
experiences with the cadaver lab (he uses the well-known Cyber-Anatomy
program), Dr. Lenihan speculates that improved
results for medical school are also possible. These include:
- Better understanding with respect to body relationships
- Allowing the student to review material over again if they make a mistake
- More frequent practice assuming a variety of clinical cases
Dr. Lenihan quantifies the benefits of monetization (our notion of
cost avoidance) for medical schools:
- Real cost savings for year one of medical school
- Continued, although reduced, cost savings for the remaining years of medical school
- Expansion of cadaver use to fields where cadavers are currently not available and/or financially feasible
- Allowing the 3D recording of sessions for students (record once, use many times)
- Enabling master teachers to deliver content anywhere in the world, while allowing the student to learn from the best
The message is really
about cost avoidance. Identifying
cost avoidance opportunities for educational settings is a praiseworthy
strategy.
