The EVMS Contemporary Human Anatomy master's program is an accelerated curriculum of 3 semesters designed to be flexible for each individual's unique career goals. Graduates gain a comprehensive understanding of the human body while acquiring teaching and research skills using cutting-edge technologies. Due to the accelerated nature of this program, students are expected to attend ALL classes. Vacations should only be taken between semesters.
Course sequence
Summer
- Clinical Gross Anatomy (5 credit hours)
- Instructional Methods (2 credit hours)
- Medical Imaging (2 credit hours)
Fall
- Histology of Cells and Tissues (2 credit hours)
- Introduction to Research (3 credit hours)
- Teaching Assistant (2 credit hours)
- Neuroanatomy (3 credits hours)
- Essential Physiology (3 credit hour)
Spring
- Capstone Project (1 credit hours)
- Embryology (2 credit hours)
- General Mechanisms of Disease (3 credit hours)
- Pathophysiology/Germany Externship (4 credit hours)
Course Descriptions
Clinical Gross Anatomy - MCHA500 (5)
The study of anatomy (from the Greek word anatomē, ana = apart, tomē = cutting) is concerned with describing the form, structures, and functions of an organism. In learning anatomy, we approach the study of the human body by integrating anatomical knowledge into a case-based approach. Students will use this knowledge to recognize normal variation and to use this variation to describe and explain clinically relevant abnormalities. This course provides a comprehensive overview of human anatomy while also allowing students to engage in interactive lectures, participate in case-based group activities, collaborate in dissection-based laboratories, and interact with practicing clinicians to gain clinical anatomical competence.
Instructional Methods - MCHA501 (2)
The course prepares students with theoretical foundations and practical techniques to plan, apply and design appropriate instructional methods while serving as a teaching assistant. It introduces a wide range of instructional methods and discusses techniques of writing good examination questions.
Medical Imaging - MCHA502 (2)
This course applies basic foundational anatomy principles to medical imaging including X-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound. Students are expected to apply their cross-sectional knowledge to the interpretation and acquisition of medical images.
Essential Physiology - MCHA518 (3)
This is a comprehensive introductory course to integrative organ system physiology and homeostatic regulatory mechanisms where interrelationships of structure and function are reinforced. The course consists of lectures and small group activities where the former introduces the concepts while the latter allows for concepts application. Active learning strategies such as gaming are employed to facilitate comprehensive process. The flow of the course is intended to interphase closely with the topic material being taught concurrently in Histology (MCHA510). Together with anatomy, embryology and histology courses, this course gives an impeccable and solid understating of the basis of any medical education.
Histology of Cells and Tissues - MCHA510 (2)
The overall goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of how cells become specialized to form tissues and how those tissues form organs. The course provides an essential foundation for understanding structure-function relationships in normal organs and how those relationships are affected by pathogenic mechanisms.
Introduction to Research - MCHA520 (3)
This course provides the knowledge necessary to understand the purpose and process of educational research and help learners become informed consumers of research literature in the field of medical and health professions education. It will survey the major types of educational research in this area including qualitative and quantitative forms of analysis to better answer questions which cannot be studied in laboratory settings, particularly in the social sciences and education. This course will also prepare students for their Capstone projects.
Teaching Assistant - MCHA504 (2)
This course allows students to serve as teaching assistants for medical, physician assistant or graduate courses in gross anatomy or histology. Responsibilities would include prosection of specimens, laboratory instruction, small group facilitation, course reviews and design of innovative study materials.
General Mechanisms of Disease - MCHA530 (3)
The General Mechanisms of Disease module serves as a transition from the foundational modules to the organ systems modules. It focuses on the general mechanisms of disease, introducing students to microbiology and infectious disease, principles for discriminating healthy from unhealthy conditions and predicting clinical manifestations. The course consists of face-to-face lectures by basic science faculty focusing on major principles and their biomedical applications. Exams are used to assess foundational knowledge and facilitate knowledge integration and are designed to facilitate student review and self-assessment. The PathA student will complete approximately 60 contact hours. The course will have three major non-comprehensive multiple choice exams each covering approximately 6 to 8 hours of lecture content. The course will assess topic-specific foundational knowledge and facilitate disease knowledge integration.
Embryology - MCHA503 (3)
This course consists of lectures devoted to the student's understanding of how the human body develops. Topics covered will include early embryogenesis, organogenesis and clinical embryology.
Capstone Project - MCHA507 (1)
All students participate in a capstone experience through a synthesis and integration of knowledge gained through their coursework and other learning experiences, with the application of anatomical specimen preparation, medical education, clinical trainers/phantoms, service learning or simulation. The project must be an original work of scholarship or research.
Functional Neuroanatomy - MCHA516 (3)
This course presents an overview of the human nervous system so that a student can understand the function of its complex parts as they relate to each other, to normal brain function and to major neurologic and psychiatric problems. This is an integrated neuroscience course that includes molecular, developmental, anatomical, metabolic, physiologic and pathologic concepts. Learning methodologies include lectures, wet labs, special dissections, small group problem-based learning and peer-to-peer teaching.
Pathophysiology - PATH510 /MCHA536 (4)
This course is a didactic presentation of human pathophysiology designed for Health Professions students. A clear understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiology and morphologic changes of disease serves as an essential basis for the understanding and competent practice in all areas of medicine. Students in this course will: Develop a background and vocabulary in pathophysiology; acquire an understanding of general physiologic/pathophysiologic processes such as inflammation, repair, neoplasia and senescence; survey pathophysiologic processes and morphologic changes which manifest in organ systems and establish a basis for the understanding of disease; exercise an approach to clinical problems which evaluates symptoms, signs and findings with a knowledge of pathophysiology to formulate a diagnosis with due consideration of differential diagnoses.
Plastination Training in Guben, Germany - MCHA509 (4)
Students would travel to learn plastination techniques from world experts at the Plastinarium in Guben, Germany. In conjunction, students would prepare dissections for plastination. This course requires an additional fee.
