UWF students explore the human body with new high-tech virtual dissection tables

Aug. 23, 2023

The University of West Florida Usha Kundu, MD College of Health has acquired three technologically-advanced anatomy visualization and virtual dissection tables, enhancing learning experiences for anatomy and physiology, nursing and athletic training students. The Anatomage Tables have large, fully interactive, multi-touch screens which provide students the opportunity to learn about the complex systems and structures of the human body.

“This technology will revolutionize how we teach anatomy to the students in the Usha Kundu, MD College of Health,” said Dr. David Bellar, dean of the college.

The tables display scanned, high-resolution 3D images of four different, full-size human cadavers, and allow students to examine the diseases or conditions that were present for each at the time of death. Users can view anatomy from all angles with a rotation tool and a virtual scalpel allows users to dissect the cadaver.

Dr. Kelley Henderson, director of UWF’s Master of Science in Athletic Training program and associate professor of clinical practice, said the tables provide the University an affordable alternative to manikin cadavers and offer faculty an exciting new way to teach students about the human body through problem-based learning.

“Understanding anatomy is a vital component to our athletic training program and having access to these tables will improve our students’ experience in numerous courses,” Henderson said. “The Anatomage tables elevate the MSAT to another level of rigor and will serve as an essential marketing component for all of our programs.”

The tables allow faculty to present case studies; create and record animations and demonstrations; build games and quizzes for playback on the tables; and save those elements for future use and to share with other faculty members.

Athletic Training graduate student Delaney Trushel said the tables are a great resource to help students learn their course materials. “The most impressive feature to me is that you can pick exactly what you want to see based on the topics you are discussing in class,” Trushel said. “If we are learning about the muscles in the lower body, we can choose to only see the muscles in that region, which allows us to get a very detailed look.”

For more information about the Usha Kundu, MD College of Health, visit uwf.edu/ukcoh.