gms | German Medical Science

Visual-spatial ability in veterinary students has been shown to be a key skill necessary for educational success and long-term knowledge. Research has shown that students who employed a multitude of study methods over a single study method had greater academic success and a deeper processing of material. Yet, most veterinary curricula provide only lectures including two-dimensional images along with a limited number of hands-on laboratories. Advancements in technology have presented veterinary educators with the opportunity to create additional and improved tools for the study of the animal body. The ability for a student to mentally manipulate an image as if it were three-dimensional (3D) is essential for good clinical and surgical practice of medicine. The purpose of this study was to create a 3D model of the stifle joint and create an interactive clinical case web tool. In addition, we aimed to evaluate students’ anatomical proficiency once the 3D virtual model was used in association with the interactive clinical case.

Methods – A 3D virtual model of the canine stifle joint was created. Thirty senior students undergoing an elective orthopedic surgery rotation were recruited. Students were randomly assigned to one of these two groups: control group (students had access to the routine educational tools, including text books and lecture notes) simulation group (in addition to the routine educational tools mentioned, students had full access to the simulation model and the clinical case). All students were given a questionnaire to evaluate their previous orthopedic experience and 2 quizzes, one at the beginning of their two-week rotation and another one at the end of their rotation. Data from the questionnaire and quizzes is still being collected and evaluated.

We expect to find a significant difference in academic success and knowledge retention between the students who were provided with the supplemental 3D stifle model and clinical case web tool compared to those students who did not have access to the model.