FOSTER — Sara Estep, an instructor with Boone Career and Technical Center’s (BCTC) licensed practical nurse (LPN) program, has been selected as one of the presenters for the 2023 Anatomage User’s Group Meeting in Santa Clara, California this July.
Anatomage is a medical equipment manufacturer that creates interactive tables, acting as a technologically advanced 3D anatomy and physiology education system.
The system allows users to simulate autopsies, surgeries and dissections, in addition to providing information about anatomy and physiology.
Estep attended the conference with members of BCTC’s LPN program last year to learn about the system, as she’s now preparing to lead a teaching role.
Now that Estep is a “guru” with the Anatomage technology, as described by BCTC LPN Coordinator Paula Webb, she will present to teachers and instructors from around the nation at the conference, who are eager to familiarize themselves with the technology as the Anatomage table becomes more popular in classrooms.
Estep was selected to present at the conference after submitting a successful application earlier this year.
“I’ve enjoyed working wit the Anatomage table because its brought a different dimension into the classroom,” Estep. said. “It’s one of those things that I would have loved to have going through my nursing education to better understand anatomy, physiology and how all of these body systems work together. We do have a cadaver lab here in West Virginia in Lewisburg, but not every nursing program gets to experience that. This provides another way to understand and see how the body truly fits together and works with each other.”
Estep highlighted the importance of having an Anatomage table in the BCTC classroom.
“The thing about it is, we have a state-of-the-art technology. There’s not very many of these tables throughout West Virginia,” she said. “We’re always wanting newer technology and better advancements of how we can learn, and Anatomage is the leader in 3D dissection tables. To have this kind of technology here in southern West Virginia is something to me that I think is really cool, because we don’t have a lot of advanced technology in the schools.”
Estep said that the tool’s value stretches beyond nursing school, as veterinarians and dental programs for example could also benefit from the models.
Estep considers the conference a beneficial networking opportunity for the BCTC LPN program as leaders from the Anatomage company attend the event to interact with instructors.
“They will ask you constantly, what can we do to make this better, what are features you want to see,” Estep said.
Although Estep will act as a workshop leader this time around, she still believes that members of the LPN program will learn better ways to utilize the technology during the conference.
“We met with teachers from middle school to university level and learned how they implement it,” she said. “There’s always more that can be learned and that you can gain from someone else, in just the different way they use it that might be better to implement in your own classroom.”
You can reach Matthew Britton @mbritton@hdmediallc.com or follow him on twitter @mbrittonhdmedia
