University of Arizona professors and researchers have developed an app that will allow students to study the anatomy of a heart through their iPad. The Heart Anatomy Explorer I app displays the internal works of the human heart through high-resolution photos, diagrams and other instructional materials.
Professor of pathology at the UA College of Medicine Dr. Mark Nelson and Maria Helen Czuzak, associate specialist and anatomical instructor in the department of cellular and molecular medicine, worked with the UA’s Office of Instruction and Assessment to develop the app.
“The ultimate goal is to be able to bring in current technology that students are adept at using and able to help them facilitate their learning,” Nelson said.
Although the app does not replace the need for students to learn from real cadavers, it allows students to view photos of a real heart, rotate the images and peel back layers of the organ, providing them with high tech study tool.
The app launched on Valentine’s Day, making it available for first-year medical students to download and beta test on their iPads and Windows or Mac computers.
The first-year medical students will provide Nelson and Czuzak with feedback before the app will be available for general release.
First-year UA medical student Elise Vo found this app to be a great asset to her learning experience.
“This is a treasure,” Vo said. “The pictures are the best you could find, and the ability to be able to move them makes a big difference.”
Currently, the app only offers instructional material for the heart, but the hope is to include more organs in the future, according to Czuzak.
Photos courtesy of University of Arizona Communications | www.uanews.org