Fourth-year medical students assist in a pulmonary anatomy session for second-year students in the new facility.

Next level: Inside the new anatomy lab

January 30, 2025 at 10:40am

A first step into the newly renovated anatomy lab at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine hits you with bracing cold. It's dark. Then lights turn on, revealing a bright, open space that gives off sterile perfection. The metal cadaver examination tables gleam, and large shiny monitors line the walls. This is a new era of hands-on learning at FIU Medicine.

“This facility is more than just a physical space,” said Juan C. Cendan, dean of the College of Medicine. “It is a testament to our commitment to advancing how we educate and train the next generation of physicians.”

The $5M upgrades include more space—7,000 square feet in total—double the size of the original lab. The new facility accommodates up to 66 students and features 17 cadaver stations, dedicated active learning spaces, and a 3D printing lab. A surgical lamp with a built-in camera hovers above the demonstration table, capturing intricate details and streaming them onto 98-inch displays strategically placed throughout the room. An advanced ventilation system allows medical and physician assistant students greater access to various educational tools, including donor bodies, plastinated specimens, projected histological slides, anatomical models and 3D-printed models highlighting complex pathologies.

Dr. Rebecca Toonkel, senior associate dean for academic affairs, emphasized the new lab’s important role in the college’s StepUp Curriculum, which focuses on the seamless integration of foundational and clinical sciences.

“The lab allows us to integrate anatomy with physical exam skills during the foundations phase [first academic year of medical school] and across multiple disciplines during the organ system phase [second semester of medical school],” said Dr. Toonkel. It also supports third-year medical students by enhancing their understanding of clinically relevant anatomy during clerkships and offers advanced dissection opportunities for those pursuing surgical careers.

“Our students have clamored for a state-of-the-art facility to elevate their medical education for years. Now they have it,” Cendan said.

As part of a four-week anatomy elective, fourth-year medical student Claire Callan and several of her peers, assisted with a pulmonary anatomy session for second-year students. She noted an increase in student engagement during the session.

“The new lab truly delivers a revitalized and enhanced learning experience,” Callan said, highlighting the lab’s advanced capabilities. “We can display dual screens with a slideshow while simultaneously using the video camera to highlight important anatomical structures on the donor body.”

new-anatomy-lab-student-view — *Large displays throughout the lab give students a close-up view of anatomical structures discussed at the demonstration table.*

Dr. Rakesh Nair leads the mandatory second-year lab sessions and directs fourth-year anatomy elective rotations. He describes the new facilities as "nothing short of extraordinary, featuring state-of-the-art resources that are visually stunning and highly functional." He is confident the upgraded resources and ability to dedicate more lab time to each organ system will deepen students’ anatomical knowledge, enhance their spatial awareness, and equip them for clinical training and future medical practice.

The renovation was a highly collaborative effort involving input from students and faculty. The result is a space tailored to the educational needs of medical and physician assistant students.

A tribute to whole-body donors

Whole-body donors, often referred to as a doctor’s first patient, play a crucial role in medical education, helping students understand the complexities of the human body while shaping their ethics and professionalism. During the college’s inaugural Ceremony of Gratitude last year, Cendan emphasized that dissection is an intimate experience, revealing extremely private details about the donor. He called it "a privilege" to learn from those who made the ultimate gift to science.

To commemorate their sacrifice, medical students presented a plaque that will be displayed in the lab: "To the silent teachers who give us the gift of knowledge through their final act of generosity."

Ileana Varela contributed to this article.