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#1 View a basic autopsy with explanation.
Understand how an autopsy is performed. This is the foundation for the site. Once you get used to the procedure, you will begin to recognize techniques repeated in other cases. And start to see where the technique deviates to accomplish different case goals.
Case 1 shows a basic autopsy of the chest and abdomen. Scrolling up and down the page will show you different versions of the same video. Stay on the top video for a conversational audio discussion. Scroll down to the second video for detailed, step-by-step explanation — the audio has been replaced for a more didactic experience.
Case 16 shows a “head” autopsy (brain removal).
#2 Read case histories. Think about the clinical course. Then view the case.
Treat the site like a sim lab. Follow the history. Decide what medical conditions you think the patient might have had. Formulate an idea for why the patient might have died. If the patient received medical care, decide where you agree or disagree with the patient’s actual clinician. If you were the provider, would have treated the patient in the same way? What would you have done differently? Why? Then view the case. The body is there to give evidence-based feedback. What did the body teach? Were your analyses, assumptions and diagnostic thinking correct?
For example, read Case 1 in the History page. Select the top blue case number (“Case 1”) to find all the case parts.
#3 Find pathology by region of the body.
There are 50 cases on the site. Most of these patients had multiple conditions and diagnoses during life. See what real conditions and diseases look like inside the body. Build your “world view” of health and disease. Quickly search by region of the body in the Body Map.
Go to the Body Map. Click “Pathology” on the right. Then select one of the diagrams. Hover over the diagram to highlight a region. Then click to pull up videos showing different pathology in that area. Click through to view the video.
#4 Search by specialty or clinical topic.
With over 300 videos and varied patient histories, the cases on the site span many specialties and conditions. Find cases that match your interest by specialty or clinical topic in the Clinical Panels page. For example, under Critical Care, find cases featuring shock, hypertension, pulmonary edema, etc.
Go to the Clinical Panels page. Select by specialty or clinical topic at the top. Narrow your search with subtopics.
#5 Compare similar conditions in different patients.
Distill clinical concepts by comparing patients with similar conditions. For example, learn different ways coronary artery disease affects the body by seeing plaque in one case, a heart attack in another, a bypass graft in the next case, and so on. Compare patients with similar conditions in the Clinical Panels page.
Go to the Clinical Panels page. Select a topic from the top. Find different patients with similar conditions. View each video to see what’s similar and different. Understand the “essence” of the medical process.
#6 View normal anatomy in real patients. Identify structures with anatomy pins.
The site pre-selects videos from the database which highlight normal anatomy. For example, if you’re studying the heart, you will find videos that show normal external exam, coronary arteries, valves, chambers, etc. Find this feature in the Body Map page.
Go to the Body Map. Click “Anatomy” on the left. Then select one of the diagrams. Hover over the diagram to highlight a region or organ. Then click to pull up videos showing anatomy in that area. Click through to view the video.
IMPORTANT: Once you are on the case page, make sure you are looking at the 3rd video down from the top. This is the anatomy pin video. The list of anatomy pins is to the right. You can pull up the pins by number on the video.
Not sure how to quick-select pins on the anatomy pin video? View this tutorial on the Tutorials page.
#7 Practice anatomy identification with real patients.
Digitized renderings provide stylized views of the body. But our site is not digitized. Here, you can see what the heart, aorta, hippocampus and many other structures look like in real patients. There are exercises to practice anatomy identification on the site. Find them under the Self-Assessment option on the top menu.
Go to the Anatomy Identification page. Select an anatomic region. Drag and drop terms on the right to match the pin number in the video.
Not sure how to quick-select pins on the anatomy pin video? View this tutorial on the Tutorials page.
#8 Improve evidence-based thinking.
There’s so much to learn in medicine. It’s critical to know the difference between observations and interpretations, findings and diagnoses. The site lets you practice and solidify your evidence-based analysis. Find this activity under the Self-Assessment option on the top menu.
Go to the Evidence-based Thinking – 1. Scroll down. Try the training activity. Then scroll down some more and select any of the cases. Find the activity to the right of the top video when you click through to the case page.
#9 Practice observation skills.
Passive video viewing can be a pitfall of the modern digital age. This activity helps you actively participate while viewing cases. Identified the case events; track the case progress; stay engaged. Find this activity under the Self-Assessment option on the top menu.
Go to the Case-viewing skills. Scroll down. Try the training activity. Then scroll down some more and select any of the cases. Find the activity to the right of the top video when you click through to the case page.
#10 Explore all the cases.
The full database is visible from the Library.
Go to the Library and scroll down to view the different cases. Each case is divided into shorter “Parts” (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc.). Brief descriptions are provided under each case part.