Air date: April 10, 2011

Host: Jeremy Shere, PhD

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Once upon a time, before high-speed internet, smart phones, and the iPad, learning anatomy in medical school meant poring over thick, dusty textbooks. Today, well, lots of schools still use use anatomy books, but more and more are turning to digital applications, like, for example, a new app called Aspects of Anatomy.

It consists of series of video tutorials featuring Peter Abrahams, a professor of clinical anatomy at Warwick Medical School, in England. The camera moves in on detailed plastic models of various body parts as Abrahams describes their anatomy:

Abrahams has a long history as an innovator in medical education technology. 20 years ago he created the first digital 3-D model of a human skeleton. Even so, he has nothing against books. In fact, he’s edited dozens of anatomy textbooks. But he says his app is a more dynamic way of teaching anatomy.

"A book is a static 2D structure, even beautifully photographed, is very different from seeing an actual specimen rotating in space while being talked over what is the relevance of the structure you’re looking at."

It’s well known that many medical students are increasingly leaving textbooks for the Web. Abraham’s app has caught on widely among health professionals in England.

"I know already all the young surgeons, anesthetists, and radiologists around the midlands in England are already using this. I think it will go to all people in the area of medical knowledge."

Abrahams says that anyone can use his videos to learn about anatomy. You can download free samples on iTunes -- just search for Aspects of Anatomy.

Additional Resources:

• Read about Dr. Abrahams' anatomy application at Medgadget.
• Aspects of Anatomy at iTunes download link.
• More about Professor Peter Abrahams.