The Relationship Between Academic Stress, Sleep Quality, and Psychological Wellbeing in Pasifika and New Zealand European Students at the University of Otago.

Background: Pasifika students in New Zealand are overrepresented in poor academic outcomes, and their academic challenges may potentially influence their wellbeing. We aim to: 1) compare the academic stress, sleep quality, and psychological wellbeing of Pasifika and New Zealand European (NZE) anatomy students at the University of Otago, and 2) determine if academic stress mediates the association between their psychological wellbeing and sleep quality.

Methods: We launched a brief online survey to Pasifika and NZE students in our department.

Does religiosity play a role in anatomy learning? Perspectives from Pasifika students at the University of Otago.

Religion is an important aspect in Pacific cultures and may influence how Pasifika students learn anatomy. Traditional constructs in Pacific cultures, such as tapu (forbidden/taboo) and sacred relationships, and/or Christian values are where spirituality is most commonly perceived among Pacific people. Although Pacific people are not homogenous, tapu is a concept that permeates all of Pacific cultures.

Anatomical sciences education needs to promote academic excellence of ethnic minority students-Evidence from Pasifika students at the University of Otago.

The Department of Anatomy at the University of Otago offers anatomical sciences education for various programs, but currently, little information is available on how the academic performance of anatomy students differ based on ethnicities. Here, we aim to determine if there is an ethnic disparity in academic performance among anatomy students at the University of Otago. We conducted a 5-year review of academic performance of New Zealand European (NZE) and Pasifika students in 10 undergraduate anatomy courses, including clinical anatomy, neuroscience, reproduction, cell biology, and biological anthropology.

Using real-time ultrasound to teach living anatomy: an alternative model for large classes.

Aims: Ultrasound is a safe, non-invasive and versatile imaging modality used widely in clinical practice. Several studies have reported using ultrasound imaging to supplement teaching of clinical anatomy to medical students but most have attempted to teach basic ultrasound skills in addition to normal sonographic anatomy. These small group teaching sessions are labour intensive and need appropriate resourcing of equipment and personnel.

A dissecting competition for medical students.

After repeated requests from medical students for more cadaver dissection opportunities, a voluntary dissecting "competition" was initiated for the third year medical students in 2006. This has been held annually on five occasions since, offering up to 30 dissection stations and accommodating an average of 53 students (range 40-66) per year, representing about 20-25% of the total class. Material is standardized to distal upper or lower limb specimens, each of which is dissected by one or two students during a single weekend day.