The Effectiveness of a Virtual Anatomy Curriculum Versus Traditional Cadaveric Dissection in UNC SOM’s First-Year Class

Even prior to the COVID pandemic, the push for medical schools to adopt virtual anatomy curricula in lieu of human cadaveric dissection was growing. In this study, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal anatomy examination scores of first-year medical students at the UNC School of Medicine were compared across three consecutive years. These classes experienced in-person, virtual, and hybridized anatomy curriculum, respectively. There was not a single instance noted where in-person curriculum produced higher examination scores than virtual or hybridized models. By incorporating virtual or hybridized models of anatomy, medical education programs can effectively reach and educate students far beyond the traditional cadaver laboratory.