INNOVATION LEARNING at GMercyU
By : Deb O ’ Reilly
Three pieces of cutting-edge technology at GMercyU enhance students ’ learning experiences across several majors .
ANATOMAGE TABLE , FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS MAJORS In fall 2020 , Gwynedd Mercy University secured a generous grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and received gifts through the President ’ s Excellence Fund to purchase the Anatomage TABLE 7 , a life-size virtual dissection table that offers an interactive life-size look at the human body and a number of animals .
The table arrived on campus in spring 2021 and GMercyU students in a variety of programs , including Medical Laboratory Science , Occupational Therapy , Radiation Therapy , Nursing , Radiologic Technology , and Respiratory Care , will be able to use this exciting new piece of technology .
It offers a high-quality lab experience without the use of cadavers or chemicals , and it features both male and female life-size gross anatomy in addition to more than 1,300 clinical cases and veterinary cases .
The Anatomage Table is FDA-cleared for use in assisting medical diagnosis and can be utilized as a powerful radiology workstation and a valuable tool for surgical case review , patient consultations , and medical research . The most advanced combination of hardware and software for virtual dissection , it features ultra-high quality ( UHQ ) visualization for students to view photorealistic anatomical structures .
Students in GMercyU ’ s Functional Anatomy for Occupational Therapy class were the first to use the table ( see photos ). In this class , students learn about muscles and muscle attachment sites — covering the whole body , from head to toe — and apply it to human function .
“ This particular day covered the head and neck muscles ,” said Sharon Montgomery , OTD , OTR / L , CHT , CEAS , Assistant Professor in the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy programs . “ The Anatomage Table offered a handson , interactive way for students to visualize the muscles individually as well as in relationship to each other . We can ‘ dissect ’ the muscles and see which muscles are more superficial and which are deep and how they overlap , something we cannot do in two-dimensional textbooks and even with three-dimensional models .”
In this lab , students are given a lab handout of images with structures to identify . Then they assess their knowledge using the Anatomage Table to quiz themselves , touching on the table for the name of the structure to appear .
“ We are continuously learning about the table ’ s features and will surely expand upon our ability to integrate this exciting learning tool as we learn and as Anatomage continues to update the table ’ s capabilities ,” said Dr . Montgomery .
VERT ( VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR RADIATION THERAPY TRAINING ), FOR RADIATION THERAPY MAJORS Gwynedd Mercy University received a generous grant last year from the George I . Alden Trust , as well as an estate gift from a former GMercyU professor , to purchase VERT , a virtual environment for radiation therapy training , for the University ’ s Radiation Therapy students .
VERT is a state-of-the-art teaching tool that offers a safe , non-pressured environment for students to practice simulated radiation therapy techniques with 3D views and lifesize visualizations . It allows faculty to supplement lectures with a lab that demonstrates techniques , with students able to look “ inside ” the patient and to practice , explore , and investigate treatments before entering a real-world clinical experience .
With the VERT system , students can learn about the imaging of treatment
8 PRESIDENT ’ S REPORT