Abstract

Medical education witnesses changing trends in the pattern of evaluation of the students. The previously employed laborious theory examinations and one time evaluation is being replaced by periodic evaluation methods and testing of application skills of the student. Here the objective is to introduce a novel technique called objective structured practical examination (O.S.P.E) for assessing the students using building block Neuroanatomy models. After a thorough Neuroanatomical study, seven (three dimensional) Neuroanatomy models of sections of brainstem at seven levels were prepared using teakwood. The various nuclei and tracts were represented using wooden stubs. These are unique as they are building block models and can be assembled and dissembled. The machine carved three dimensional Neuroanatomy models can be dissembled and applied at an O.S.P.E. station and the students can be asked to rebuild it by positioning the nuclei and tracts at appropriate places followed by discussion of individual tracts.

Key words: O.S.P.E, Neuroanatomy, Three dimensional wooden Models