Case Study: Transforming Neuroanatomy Education at Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KansasCOM) trains future osteopathic physicians to provide effective, empathetic, and innovative care, optimizing patient health and community well-being. KansasCOM’s progressive history and commitment to cadaverless anatomy education created the perfect environment for reimagining neuroanatomy education with advanced technology.
The Case for Reinventing Neuroanatomy
Enabling students to see what is often invisible in the human central nervous system was critical for KansasCOM in evaluating neuroanatomy teaching solutions. Beyond merely viewing 3D images on 2D displays, KansasCOM sought a solution that allowed exploration of cross-sections, spinal cords, and brain stems in an immersive environment. Instructors needed the ability to control which structures were shown while students engaged with the visuals, leading them to adopt HoloAnatomy® Neuro Suite.
“HoloAnatomy Neuro Suite helps students learn the neuroanatomical structures and their spatial relations in 3D space, making the invisible visible.”
– Dr. Cameron Jeter, Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, KansasCOM
Deploying the Future of Neuroanatomy
Teamwork was the cornerstone of a successful deployment and adoption at KansasCOM. The AV Team’s expertise was instrumental in setting up the technology, ensuring it was ready for faculty and students. AlensiaXR provided faculty training on integrating the suite into their curriculum and offered support throughout the process. Recognizing the importance of specialized expertise, KansasCOM appointed a Medical Education Specialist with both technical skills and neuroanatomy knowledge to assist faculty in translating curricula into 3D immersive slides. The workflow now involves faculty storyboarding lessons, identifying slide elements, and the Specialist iterating on the content until the final assembly is complete.
The true wow factor was about the 3rd or 4th week of the course when we introduced these microscopic tracts and to see the rainbow of involved structures.
– Dr. Cameron Jeter, Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, KansasCOM
Reaping the Benefits
Both faculty and students at KansasCOM experienced "wow" moments as they viewed microscopic tracts displayed as a rainbow of structures. Students, armed with learning worksheets, began to take ownership of their learning process, collaborating with each other. Compared to traditional dissection, the prep and cleanup time is minimal, and structures are consistently presented in their true anatomical position, allowing students to visualize traditionally invisible neuroanatomical structures.
Students can relate the physical anatomy they see much more easily to the function of that anatomy.
– Dr. Cameron Jeter, Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, KansasCOM
Looking Ahead at KansasCOM
KansasCOM is pushing the boundaries of digitization, working on moving from paper worksheets to a complementary mobile app that students can use to capture exam scores. Similar to the HoloCompanion app at ATSU, this app will allow students to continue interacting with each other and the holograms as they capture worksheet answers and exam questions. KansasCOM eagerly anticipates how their creative anatomy faculty will continue to innovate and lead the way with this cutting-edge technology.
Read the interview with Dr. Campbell & Dr. Olsen