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Utility of 3D Printed Cardiac Models for Medical Student Education in Congenital Heart Disease: Across a Spectrum of Disease Severity

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Abstract

The most common modes of medical education for congenital heart disease (CHD) rely heavily on 2-dimensional imaging. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology allows for the creation of physical cardiac models that can be used for teaching trainees. 3D printed cardiac models were created for the following lesions: pulmonic stenosis, atrial septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, d-transposition of the great arteries, coarctation of the aorta, and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Medical students participated in a workshop consisting of different teaching stations. At the 3D printed station, students completed a pre- and post-intervention survey assessing their knowledge of each cardiac lesion on a Likert scale. Students were asked to rank the educational benefit of each modality. Linear regression was utilized to assess the correlation of the mean increase in knowledge with increasing complexity of CHD based on the Aristotle Basic Complexity Level. 45 medical students attended the CHD workshop. Students’ knowledge significantly improved for every lesion (p < 0.001). A strong positive correlation was found between mean increase in knowledge and increasing complexity of CHD (R2 = 0.73, p < 0.05). The 3D printed models, pathology specimens and spoken explanation were found to be the most helpful modalities. Students “strongly agreed” the 3D printed models made them more confident in explaining congenital cardiac anatomy to others (mean = 4.23, ± 0.69), and that they recommend the use of 3D models for future educational sessions (mean = 4.40, ± 0.69). 3D printed cardiac models should be included in medical student education particularly for lesions that require a complex understanding of spatial relationships.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the Rachel Cooper Innovative Technologies Fund. We would like to thank the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, medical school class of 2021 for their participation in this study. This publication was supported in part by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through Grant Number UL1TR001873. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Jennifer Smerling

  2. Department of Pathology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Charles C. Marboe & Jay H. Lefkowitch

  3. Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Martina Pavlicova

  4. Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Emile Bacha

  5. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Andrew J. Einstein

  6. Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Andrew J. Einstein

  7. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Yoshifumi Naka

  8. Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 3959 Broadway, CHN-2, New York, NY, 10023, USA

    Julie Glickstein & Kanwal M. Farooqi

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  1. Jennifer Smerling
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  2. Charles C. Marboe
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  9. Kanwal M. Farooqi
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Correspondence to Kanwal M. Farooqi.

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Smerling, J., Marboe, C.C., Lefkowitch, J.H. et al. Utility of 3D Printed Cardiac Models for Medical Student Education in Congenital Heart Disease: Across a Spectrum of Disease Severity. Pediatr Cardiol 40, 1258–1265 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-019-02146-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-019-02146-8

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