Early anatomy word test predicts dissection exam performance in medical students

A brief word test in week 2 of a dissection course significantly predicted practical exam scores across 640 med students, with low scorers (<60%) showing meaningful improvement by course end. Low-tech, early feedback may help struggling learners—though single-institution data li…

• Retrospective cohort study at Akita University, Japan (2013–2017); n=640 second-year medical students completing a dissection-based anatomy course.
• Word test scores positively correlated with both mid-term and final practical examination scores (exact correlation coefficients not reported in source); students scoring <60% on the word test showed statistically significant rank improvement across subsequent practical exams (Friedman test).
• Single-institution, single-country study with no control group; effects may not generalize to curricula with different structures, languages, or student populations.

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