Papers by Wojciech Pawlina
Anatomical Sciences Education, 2020
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Feb 9, 2015
The FASEB Journal, Apr 1, 2015
The Asia Pacific Scholar, Jan 2, 2018
In the current healthcare environment, team-based models in the teaching and practice of medicine... more In the current healthcare environment, team-based models in the teaching and practice of medicine have become more a norm than a preference. Renewed focus on team-based practice discloses the effect that poorly functioning teams may have on successful outcomes in team-based delivery of patient care. Team incompetence compromises learning and work performance for all members; an outcome often rooted in poor communication and understanding of role responsibilities within the team. Business schools have been innovative and proactive in recognizing this problem and have instituted team charters to align team expectations and norms through discussion and consensus. Team charters were introduced in Block 2 Microscopic Anatomy and Block 3 Human Structure courses at Mayo Medical School in the first year curriculum. Teams were oriented on the concept of the team-charter and given the opportunity to create individual team charters to suit each team's work ethos. Teams were encouraged to revisit their charters midway through the course to maintain a dynamic contract. Students took time to reflect on and adapt their strategy in order to facilitate better team cohesiveness, communication, interaction and ultimate performance. Qualitative student feedback indicated that the exercise fostered better group dynamic and improved communication within the team. Students were empowered to take responsibility for their own learning, professional identity formation, performance, academic development and their impact on total performance of the team.
Anatomical Sciences Education, Jun 22, 2022
Endocrinology, Oct 1, 1989
Relaxin is a member of the insulin-like growth factor family that functions primarily during preg... more Relaxin is a member of the insulin-like growth factor family that functions primarily during pregnancy and parturition. Because previous studies have shown that rat adipocytes respond to relaxin, we undertook this study to investigate the effect of relaxin on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts in cell culture. First, relaxin prevented the normal course of cell division during the induction phase, but did not interfere with expression of the adipocyte phenotype, as indicated by lipid accumulation and insulin-sensitive glucose transport. Relaxin-treated cells were 2-3 times larger than cells induced by the normal procedure, as determined by both computer-assisted size analysis and intracellular water volume. These effects on cell division and cell size could be reversed by removal of relaxin during early induction. The concentration of relaxin required to elicit the half-maximal effect was 75 ng/ml (12.5 nM). These studies demonstrate that relaxin affects the proliferative response during the inductive phase of differentiation of the 3T3-L1 cell line without affecting differentiation directly. This effect of relaxin on proliferation is unique and is discussed in relation to the cell cycle. It is our hope that these cells will serve as a model system for investigating the mechanisms by which relaxin functions and allow further studies on receptor structure and function.
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Jul 1, 1990
For the first time, we demonstrate here the ability of human relaxin to block cell division. Duri... more For the first time, we demonstrate here the ability of human relaxin to block cell division. During the induction of differentiation of 3T3-Ll fibroblasts to adipocytes, the cells typically undergo two rounds of cell division followed by accumulation of lipid droplets and expression of insulin-stimulated glucose transport as the cells attain the adipocyte phenotype. Human relaxin added during induction had no effect on the development of the adipocyte phenotype or insulin-stimulated glucose transport. However, it blocked cell division at a half-maximal concentration of 1.25 nM, well within physiological range. This could be reversed by the addition of antibodies specific for human relaxin. Thus relaxin joins a select number of hormones with growth inhibitory properties such as transforming growth factor-p (TGFP) and mammastatin. Potentially, this is an important but until now unidentified function of relaxin. Unlike other inhibitory polypeptides, like TGF/3, relaxin does not prevent differentiation but rather uncouples it from cell division.
Clinical Anatomy, Oct 1, 2015
In the anatomy laboratory, skill remains a critical component to unlocking the true value of lear... more In the anatomy laboratory, skill remains a critical component to unlocking the true value of learning from cadaveric dissection. However, there is little if any room for provision of instruction in proper dissection technique. We describe how near-peer instructors designed a supplemental learning activity to enhance the dissection experience for first-year medical students. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of this curriculum in improving participants' understanding of dissection technique and its impact on perceived challenges associated with the anatomy course. Curriculum was designed under faculty guidance and included didactic sessions, low-fidelity models, dissection, student presentations, and clinical correlations. Participants' (n 5 13) knowledge of basic dissection techniques and concepts were assessed before the selective, and both participants' and nonparticipants' (n 5 39) knowledge was assessed at the end of week one and week seven of the anatomy course. Scores were compared using repeated measures ANOVA followed by post hoc t-tests. Thirteen deidentified reflective essays were reviewed by four independent reviewers for themes that aligned with learning objectives. Participants in the selective course scored higher on assessment of dissection techniques and concepts one week after the selective compared to both nonparticipants and their own baseline scores before the selective. Analysis of student reflections resulted in four themes: confidence with dissection skill, sharing resources and transfer of knowledge, learning environment, and psychological impact of perceived challenges of the anatomy course. Near-peer driven supplemental exercises are effective in facilitating dissection skills. This dissection primer increases student confidence and alleviates apprehension associated with anatomy courses. Clin.
Anatomical Sciences Education, Dec 27, 2013
When anatomy education in medical schools is mentioned thoughts go to hours sitting in a lecture ... more When anatomy education in medical schools is mentioned thoughts go to hours sitting in a lecture hall, four students working on a cadaver dissection and the smell. While some aspects of this educational experience still exist, things are changing . Educational Research has shown that individuals learn in different ways , and educational programs designed to help the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learner should be the current goal of course and curricular design. Anatomists are in the perfect position for this paradigm shift. Why? Because we have been using multimodal approaches to learning for many years (lectures and laboratories), and we just need to expand our current offerings to be at the forefront of this pedagogical change.
Medical Teacher, 2009
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the medical education enterprise in the United States ... more At the beginning of the twentieth century, the medical education enterprise in the United States was in crisis. In the absence of clearly defined outcomes, proprietary medical schools enrolled large numbers of unqualified students who were not adequately prepared to practice medicine. These major inadequacies in medical training prompted Flexner’s (1910) landmark report, in which he insisted that medical education be university-based and that the curriculum should include rigorous instruction in basic science and that medical faculty should be heavily engaged in basic research (Weissmann 2008). As a result of this study, non-universitybased proprietary medical schools went out of business and university-based medical schools established research departments in basic biomedical sciences. Although the ‘‘scientific basis of medicine’’ was emphasized in curricula based on the Flexnerian model (Flexner 1910), this often led to a compartmentalization of preclinical and clinical studies. In 1940, the ‘‘Weiskotten Report’’ on medical education found dissatisfaction from preclinical education. Interestingly, it was noted that ‘‘in higher ranking schools the preclinical educational programs were less rigid and less formal than in the lower ranking schools’’ (Weiskotten et al. 1940). This observation shed light early on a possible future direction for basic sciences education. It was further reported that faculty in higher ranking departments believed ‘‘that the early appreciation of the various techniques as applied to clinical medicine detracted in no way from scientific value of these [basic science] courses’’ (Weiskotten et al. 1940). The 40 years following the ‘‘Weiskotten Report’’ (1940) are best characterized as an uncomfortable status quo. The lack of clinical relevance, lack of integration, and the division of preclinical and clinical instruction caused dissonance and dissatisfaction among preclinical teachers and students alike (McLaren 1980). Educators were most concerned about the learning and retention of basic science knowledge. Most of the preclinical medical science was taught in a passive, lecturebased format by basic scientists who felt uncomfortable trying to put their teaching into clinical contexts. This situation mirrored that of clinicians who also felt uncomfortable teaching basic science relevance in their clinical cases (McCrorie 2000). As time progressed, critics began to downplay the role of basic sciences in favor of other aspects of medical education (Boshuizen and Schmidt 1992; Whitcomb 2006), yet others became crusaders to preserve the essential role of basic sciences (Norman 2000). They expressed absolute confidence based on research evidence that basic science needed to remain a fundamental part of medical education (Norman 2007; Woods et al. 2007). Since the early 1990s, many medical curricula underwent
Pm&r, Sep 1, 2010
Objective: To describe a technique for sonographically guided acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injec... more Objective: To describe a technique for sonographically guided acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injections and compare its accuracy to palpation-guided injections in a cadaveric model. Design: Prospective laboratory investigation. Setting: Procedural skills laboratory at a tertiary medical center. Methods: A single experienced operator completed 10 sonographically guided and 10 palpation-guided ACJ injections in unembalmed cadavers. Injection order was randomized and all injections were completed with diluted colored latex. Co-investigators blinded to the injection technique dissected each specimen and graded colored latex location as accurate (in the ACJ), partially accurate (within and outside the ACJ), or inaccurate (no latex in the ACJ). Main Outcome Measurements: Direct assessment of injected dye within the ACJ via dissection. Results: All 10 sonographically guided ACJ injections accurately placed latex into the ACJ (100% accuracy), whereas only 4 of 10 (40%) palpation-guided injections accurately placed latex within the ACJ (P ϭ .0054). Conclusions: This cadaveric investigation suggests that sonographic guidance can be used to inject the ACJ with a high degree of accuracy, and should be considered superior to palpation guidance. Clinicians should consider using sonographic guidance to inject the ACJ when diagnostic specificity is paramount or when otherwise clinically indicated.
Anatomical Sciences Education, Jun 3, 2014
Curricular changes continue at United States medical schools and directors of gross anatomy, micr... more Curricular changes continue at United States medical schools and directors of gross anatomy, microscopic anatomy, neuroscience/neuroanatomy, and embryology courses continue to adjust and modify their offerings. Developing and supplying data related to current trends in anatomical sciences education is important if informed decisions are going to be made in a time of curricular and course revision. Thus, a survey was sent to course directors during the 2012-2013 academic years to gather information on total course hours, lecture and laboratory hours, the type of laboratory experiences, testing and competency evaluation, and the type of curricular approach used at their institution. The data gathered were compared to information obtained from previous surveys and conclusions reached were that only small or no change was observed in total course, lecture and laboratory hours in all four courses; more gross anatomy courses were part of an integrated curriculum since the previous survey; virtual microscopy with and without microscopes was the primary laboratory activity in microscopic anatomy courses; and neuroscience/neuroanatomy and embryology courses were unchanged. Anat Sci Educ 7: 321-325.
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Feb 9, 2015
The FASEB Journal, Apr 1, 2018
The FASEB Journal, Apr 1, 2013
The FASEB Journal, Mar 1, 2006
The FASEB Journal, Apr 1, 2011
CRC Press eBooks, May 27, 2004
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Feb 9, 2015
Anatomical Sciences Education, 2013
Furthermore, AAA's national meetings are now part of a group of societies that come together at t... more Furthermore, AAA's national meetings are now part of a group of societies that come together at the Experimental Biology conference. Through an amalgam of professional associations, AAA members are provided with opportunities to network with a truly integrated group of scientists and educators. Come join us in Boston for the Many Faces of Anatomy.
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Papers by Wojciech Pawlina