Summer anatomy seminar offers sneak preview of medical school life

Medical terminology can seem like another language to first-year medical students when they begin their studies. A four-week summer course at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York (TouroCOM-Harlem) seeks to help students begin “speaking” anatomy before medical school.

Sushama Rich, MD, chair of the department of anatomy, started the Summer Anatomy Seminar in 2011 to provide students from TouroCOM-Harlem and other medical schools a sneak preview of a fundamental part of the curriculum they will be learning for credit in the fall. Enrollment in the seminar has grown from 30 to 80 students. TouroCOM-Harlem students who take the seminar typically demonstrate an improved understanding of the course material and a better work ethic, Dr. Rich says.

“They’re much more relaxed, and they have more time for other classes, so they’re able to manage their time better,” she explains.

After morning lectures, students spend the afternoons divided into groups that:

• Examine dissected cadavers to study the bones and muscles.
• Review the previous lecture with a teaching assistant.
• Participate in question-and-answer sessions and discussions.

Students are provided with practice exams to do at home on weekends. Answers are posted on Sundays so students can track their own progress.