Introduction. Medical students often describe the gross anatomy course as both stressful and a rite of passage. Research differs as to whether the stress it engenders is significant or transitory. This qualitative study of first year anatomy student reports on the use of optional creative projects to promote reflection and reduce stress.

Methods. Over a three year period, 115 students, or 38.72% of all eligible students, opted to complete 1-2 arts or written creative projects during the anatomy course. Of these, 34 students gave us permission to analyze their projects, while 12 project completers and 12 project non-completers were interviewed to determine their views about the projects. Researchers developed coding schema and interview schedules that were used to assess and interpret the data.

Findings. On average, over a three year period, a little less than 40% of students selected the creative project option, with approximately equal numbers of male and female students represented. Comparing types of projects, art works were more celebratory and less reflective than written works. Comparing phases of projects, initial projects appeared more conflicted, while later projects showed more desensitization, appreciation, and satisfaction. Students expressed anxiety and ambivalence about anatomy and employed various defense mechanisms to resolve their feelings. Students completing projects reported that they both reduced stress and caused them to develop a richer appreciation for both anatomy and medicine as a whole, while non-completers acknowledged that viewing the projects helped them to better understand their own experience of anatomy.

Conclusions. For some students, creative projects may offer a more reflective and introspective way of wrestling with the ambivalent emotions anatomy raises than simple desensitization strategies of exposure.

The anatomy course offers important opportunities to develop professionalism at an early stage in medical education. It is an academically significant course that also engenders stress in some students.

Over a three-year period, 115 of 297 students completed creative projects. Thirty-four project completers and 47 non-completers consented to participate in the study. Projects were analyzed for professionalism themes using grounded theory. A subset of project completers and non-completers were interviewed to determine their views about the stress of anatomy and medical school, as well as the value of the creative projects. We also compared test performance of project completers and non-completers.

Projects completed early in the course often expressed ambivalence about anatomy, whereas later projects showed more gratitude and sense of awe. Project completers tended to report greater stress than noncompleters, but stated that doing projects reduced stress and caused them to develop a richer appreciation for anatomy and medicine. Project completers performed significantly lower than non-completers on the first written exam (pre-project). Differences between groups on individual exams after both the first and second creative project were nonsignificant.

For some students, creative projects may offer a useful way of reflecting on various aspects of professionalism while helping them to manage stress.

The PLEXUS staff wishes to recognize the hard work and support of the following individuals: Dean Thomas Cesario MD, Ellena Peterson MD, Gayle Pierce, Linda Hill, Carroll Rudy, Dale Fukuda from Printing Division.

 Co-Editors-in-Chief: Sarah Mourra, Boback Ziaeian

 Senior Editors

Audio: Joshua Waltzman

Creative Writing: Sarah Mourra

Layout & Design: Boback Ziaeian

Marketing & Outreach: Manijeh Torki

Visual Arts: Grace Sun

Associate Editors

Audio: Lauren Cheung

Creative Writing: Akiva Kahn

Layout & Design: Mariam Naqvi

Marketing & Outreach: Janet Lim

Visual Arts: Vicky Millay

Selection Editors: Antony Hazel, Pooya Javidan, Jane Lee

Selection Committee: Sarah Blaschko, Rasha Hindiyeh, Meghann Kaiser, Brian McMichael, C. Gail Ryan, Roya Saisan, Lena R. Schultz, Tracy Slone, Randy Wei

Faculty Advisors: Johanna Shapiro, PhD; Lloyd Rucker, MD

Sponsors: School of Medicine Dean’s Office, Office of Educational Affairs, Office of Admissions

The PLEXUS staff wishes to recognize the hard work and support of the following individuals:

Ellena Peterson, PhD, Gayle Pierce, Linda Hill, Carroll Rudy, Dale Fukuda from Printing Division.

The Senior Editors also wish to thank Sarah Mourra and Boback Ziaeian for their endless guidance and encouragement.

Co-Editors-in-Chief Jamie “Akiva” Kahn; Mariam Naqvi

Managing Editor: Pooya Javidan

Senior Editors

Audio: Lauren Cheung

Beautification Project: Janet Lim

Creative Writing: Jamie “Akiva” Kahn

Layout & Design: Mariam Naqvi

Marketing & Outreach: Janet Lim

Visual Arts: Vicky Millay

Associate Editors

Audio: Wesley Ryan

Beautification Project: Christina Umber

Creative Writing: Dana Steenhard

Layout & Design: Rod Mortazavi

Marketing & Outreach: Julie Hui

Visual Arts: Neera Sodhi

Selection Editors: Antony Hazel; Pooya Javidan; Jane Lee

Selection Committee: Sarah Blaschko; Brian McMichael; Sarah Mourra; Manijeh Torki; Roya Saisan; Tracy Slone; Josh Waltzman; Randy Wei; Boback Ziaeian

Faculty Advisors: Elizabeth Morrison, MD; Johanna Shapiro, PhD

Plexus Audio provides audio artists with a way to showcase their talents. All of the work has

been created by affiliates of the UC Irvine School of Medicine and Medical Center. We hope that you enjoy the large variety of innovative and creative works and stay tuned for future developments from Plexus Audio.

Senior Audio Editor: Lauren Cheung

Associate Audio Editor: Wesley Ryan

WWW.PLEXUSAUDIO.COM

UCI School of Medicine  (c) 2007 PLEXUS

Published works were contributed by UCI School of Medicine students, faculty, staff, alumni, and patients.

The Plexus board would like to thank you for picking up our magazine. Being in the healthcare field can be demanding at times, emotionally and mentally, and many of us like to release our inner artist. We hope that you enjoy looking at, and reading, our work. Some of it was made to relax, some of it is to gain insight, and some of it is just for fun! This magazine is put together by a large board of Editors, over the span of a year, and collects hundreds of pieces of art from UCI School of Medicine students, faculty, physicians, employees, and even patients. All the work is judged by a fifty-person panel and then organized and published. And it’s all organized by medical students who love art and the support of our faculty advisor, Dr. Johanna Shapiro (who also loves art)! We hope the contributed work has an impact and you’ll keep your eyes out for our future editions. Thanks again dear reader!

Sincerely,

The Editors

The Editorial Board would like to recognize and thank the following sponsors for their unwavering support! The School of Medicine Deans Office, The Office of Educational Affairs, The Office of Admissions, Last Year’s Board, who made us who we are today, Carroll Rudy, and Dale Fakuda from Printing Division Inc. Thanks!!!

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Johanna Shapiro M.D.

Co-Editors-in-Chief: Rod Mortazavi, Neera Sodhi

Managing Editor: Julie Hui

Senior Editors:

Audio: Wesley Ryan

Hospital Beautification: Christina Umber

Visual Arts: Neera Sodhi

Creative Writing: Dana Steenhard

Layout and Design: Rod Mortazavi

Marketing and Outreach: Julie Hui

Associate Editors

Audio: George Mittendorf

Hospital Beautification: Janet Ho

Visual Arts: Charitha Reddy

Creative Writing: Mohammed Shaikh, Jennifer Alloo

Layout and Design: Steven Chan, Maheen Hassan, Peter McQueen

Marketing and Outreach: Mohammed Shaikh

Selection Committee: Alexander Lin, Madhukar Patel

UCI School of Medicine (c) 2008 PLEXUS

Published work has been contributed by UCI School of Medicine students, physicians, faculty, staff, alumni, and patients

Sponsors: School of Medicine Dean’s Office, Office of Educational Affairs, Office of Admissions, School of Medicine Alumni Association

The PLEXUS staff wishes to recognize the hard work and support of the following individuals: Dean Thomas Cesario MD, Alberto Manetta MD, William Gustin MD, Warren Wiechmann, Betty Crowley, Gayle Pierce, Linda Hill, Carroll Rudy, Al Stoffel from Shoreline Press.

Co-Editors-in-Chief: C. Gail Ryan, Randy Wei

(Fall Editor-in-Chief) Brian McMichael

Senior Editors

Audio: Jon-Paul Pepper, Jeanette Waller

Creative Writing: Sarah Mourra

Layout & Design: Randy Wei

Marketing & Outreach: Ken Lam

Visual Art: Tracy Slone

Associate Editors

Audio: Joshua Waltzman

Layout & Design: Boback Ziaeian

Marketing & Outreach: Shahrouz Ganjian

Special Events: Manijeh Torki

Visual: Grace Sun

Selection Committee: Sarah Blaschko, Nick Athanasiou, Philip Reich, Eric Hegedus, Roya Saisan, Salina Lee, Meghann Kaiser, Christine Chan, Mary Wang, Troy Pulas, Lena R. Schultz, Glen Moore

Faculty Advisors: Johanna Shapiro, PhD, Lloyd Rucker, MD

Are you interested in more art from the Plexus journal of Arts and Humanities? Plexus Audio is proud to present audio Art created by affiliates of the UC Irvine School of Medicine and Medical Center.  In its second year of production, Plexus Audio is showcasing talent that is sure to keep you interested and entertained, so check it out at www.plexusaudio.com

Enjoy.

Plexus Audio

www.plexusaudio.com

UCI School of Medicine (c) 2005 Plexus

Published works were contributed by UCI School of Medicine students, faculty, staff, and alumni.