Kevin Dukes Career and Innovation Academy offers unique experience to health science students with technologically advanced Anatomage Table
Peggy M. Himburg
Lanie Guinn, Faith Bell, and Hanna Johnson are seniors enrolled in the Health Science Department at the Kevin Dukes Career and Innovation Academy. They have had the unique opportunity to use the newly acquired Anatomage Table which lets them examine cadavers and learn about all parts of the human anatomy. The cadavers are real people who donated their bodies to science. These three young ladies plan to continue their education in the medical professions field. Lanie will be attending Jacksonville State University while Faith and Hanna plan to attend Northeast Alabama Community College. The Anatomage Table is the world’s first life size virtual dissection table and is normally only found in the world’s leading medical schools. It is very unusual for this to be available to high school students.
Students enrolled in the Health Science Department at the Kevin Dukes Career and Innovation Academy have access to a special piece of equipment normally not available to high school students. Through a grant the $100,000 an Anatomage Table was purchased, and the students are learning so much with this unique tool.
The Anatomage Table is the most technologically advanced 3D anatomy visualization and virtual dissection tool for anatomy and physiology education. It is used in some of the world’s leading medical schools. It is the only fully segmented real human 3D anatomy platform. Students visualize anatomy exactly as they would on a fresh cadaver.
The cadavers are those of real people who have donated their bodies to science. It is like looking at a real person on the table. The Anatomage Table is a fully interactive, life-sized touch screen experience in operatory bed form. It allows for exploration and learning of the human anatomy beyond what any cadaver could offer.
KDCIA Health Science instructor Shainah Hawes said the Table is currently used mostly by the students in the anatomy class. The instructors and students are excited about this piece of equipment which offers a world of information for the students. It provides a great opportunity for students interested in the medical field.
This Table is unique in that thousands of real human cases were collected and digitized in the highest possible resolution. The development of this Table took years of painstakingly separating individual structure from each slice. A student is able to target any part of the human body and see all its working parts. It is definitely a new experience offering detailed information to the students. Unlike working on a real cadaver, there are no chemicals involved and no unpleasant smells.
The Anatomage Table offers more than 1,600 case study examples featuring real anatomy in both patients and animal cases. The KDCIA students studying veterinary medical have used this Table to examine animals.
Growing publications show improved test scores, more efficient class and lab sessions, and student acceptance using the Anatomage Table. It allows students to interact with both young and well preserved digital cadavers instead of aged and degenerated bodies. The interests of students is enhanced by the accurate details and rich content leading to more effective educational outcomes.
