Clinical Anatomy
The Bristol Clinical Anatomy Suite (BCAS) has been designed to provide clinical anatomy teaching and surgical skills training for doctors, dentists and allied health professionals at all stages of their careers. Much of the equipment contained in BCAS is unique and was developed specifically to support forthcoming changes to training and assessment within the NHS and the ongoing changes to undergraduate medical and dental education.
Overview of facilities
BCAS features twelve specially designed workstations, each comprising an innovative operating table, overhead camera and operating light. Integral to each table is a rugged and waterproof touch-screen monitor to display images from the camera, from the class instructor’s camera or endoscope, or our own database of medical images and tutorials.
BCAS also houses a striking museum of pathology and anatomy specimens with study alcoves providing additional touch-screen access to the database. There are three unique display units, again with touch-screens, providing space for 400 specimens allowing, for example, correlation of cross sectional anatomy with the latest forms of medical imaging. In total, there are 17 touch-screen monitors in BCAS. Each monitor is connected, remotely, to an individual computer and can thereby function independently of the others. This makes it possible for students to proceed at their own pace and for instructors to run different teaching sessions simultaneously The facilities are available for supplementary undergraduate teaching within the University of Bristol and also for external courses. The latter include courses in Advanced Clinical Anatmony for trainee surgeons and related health care professionals, as well as specialist Clinical Skills courses. BCAS is equipped for use of both fixed and fresh material.
BCAS also aims to have an important role in research – both in relation to educational methodologies and into the science underlying the treatment of medical conditions.
Anatomy simulations project
The Clinical Anatomy Suite provides a unique learning experience in which clinical simulations are integrated with anatomy teaching. Students are able to study anatomy on fixed or fresh cadaveric material, whilst exploring the clinical context by practising clinical procedures or learning advanced and innovative surgical techniques. The teaching sessions are also supported by e-learning resources, with facilities for incorporating electronic simulations. An adjoining seminar room is being developed to allow break-out sessions to be integrated within the practical teaching.
The project aims to:
- Enhance anatomy practical teaching by employing a wider range of media
- Facilitate the innovative clinical application of anatomy
- Enable the teaching of specialist topics in clinical anatomy that require integration of specimen-based teaching with simultaneous access to surgical simulations
Neuroanatomical models
Building on many years of teaching experience, we have developed a series of innovative neuroantomical models that address those areas of neuroanatomy that students find particularly difficult.
