Donation of anatomy 3D prints to Low Middle Income Countries
Following on from Professor McMenamin’s work in Liberia in late 2015, the Monash Anatomy 3D Printing lab within the Centre for Human Anatomy Education (CHAE) continues to look at ways to assist Low Middle Income Countries (LMICs) in anatomy education.
Professor McMenamin spoke on this topic at Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) annual meeting in Melbourne in May, 2021. Some of the activity described below was in part due to discussions and linkages made at that meeting. The CHAE pioneered the use of replica 3D body structures to teach anatomy to medical students, as reported by the ABC in 2016.
Fiji
The CHAE has been providing teaching support to the Uman and Prasad School of Medicine & Health Sciences (UPSM) in Fiji for a few years. Associate Professor Michelle Lazarus visited there in 2016 and Professor Paul McMenamin taught around four active learning classes online in 2020 and again in 2021. Teaching sessions were organised by ‘Friends4Fiji’, a medical student-based volunteer group within the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University.
In addition, the CHAE have just donated around 40 individual 3D printed replicas of human anatomy with detailed descriptions to UPSM.
This donation will allow students to examine unique and anatomically accurate replicas of human structures, pioneered at Monash. The UPSM medical school does not have access to human donors for dissection, nor does it have many other learning resources besides textbooks. The donation was met with extreme gratitude towards Monash CHAE and the 3D printing facility, as it effectively allows them to set up a new anatomy learning resource centre.
The images above show the 3D printed replicas of human anatomy specimens packed up for transport from Monash in late May and being unwrapped in Fiji in August by the Dean, Professor Fred Merchant and colleagues.
Papua New Guinea
With introductions by Professor Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Professor McMenamin approached the Executive Dean of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea, Professor Nakapi Tefuarani, and asked if the CHAE could be of assistance in providing some learning materials in the form of 3D prints. Their medical school is in a similar situation to Fiji with no access to human donors and with only a limited supply of some old anatomy dissections for teaching. Therefore, the Dean and his colleagues were very enthusiastic about CHAE’s offer of help. Around 25 individual 3D prints were sent in late July in concert with medical supplies from Monash Health (organised by Professor Ram Nataraja) being delivered to their local hospital. Professor McMenamin and the staff in the Monash 3D Printing lab in the CHAE will continue to try to support this medical school based on observed identified needs.
Specimens being packed for transport to PNG and being received by staff at University of PNG in August 2021.
Future opportunities to help LMICs
There are fantastic opportunities to do valuable work in other LMICs. The CHAE has recently been contacted by AusHeal, an organisation that provides surgical training and medical assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Having heard Professor McMenamin’s presentation at RACS, the organisation is exploring whether 3D prints may be valuable for teaching trainee surgeons and medical students in the DRC as they have little practical opportunities to learn anatomy. As a result, there is a major problem with iatrogenic (healthcare-related) injuries, especially during childbirth and caesarian deliveries.
If you would like to help the CHAE with this valuable outreach work, please consider Giving to the Monash BDI.* Please state ‘LMIC Anatomy education’ in the ‘My gift preference’ box.
Acknowledgements
Professor McMenamin would like to thank Associate Professor Justin Adams, Director of the 3D Printing Lab, for his continued support of this work in identifying material suitable for donation. The technical staff, Michelle Quayle and Lucy Costello, have greatly assisted by identifying material and helping repair any damaged prints.
For Media Enquiries please contact:
E: media@monash.edu T: +61 (0) 3 9903 4840
About the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University
Committed to making the discoveries that will relieve the future burden of disease, the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University brings together more than 120 internationally-renowned research teams. Our researchers are supported by world-class technology and infrastructure, and partner with industry, clinicians and researchers internationally to enhance lives through discovery.
About the Centre for Human Anatomy Education
The Centre for Human Anatomy Education (CHAE) is a globally recognised centre for excellence in the disciplines of anatomy and anatomy education. The centre supports and oversees human anatomy education across the University, ensuring our curriculum and teaching is of the highest global standard. We're part of the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, within the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute.