AUTHOR=Gutierrez J. Claudio , Nlebedum Uchenna , Wanakumjorn Patrawin , Holladay Steven D. 

TITLE=Spatial and non-verbal reasoning abilities in first-year female DVM students before and after 4 h of canine osteology training or 19 h of canine dissection: preliminary study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1593360

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2025.1593360

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=Spatial ability refers to human cognitive ability to form, retrieve, and mentally manipulate models of spatial nature. This critical component of human intellect is relevant on a wide spectrum of professional disciplines including engineering, architecture, mathematics, computer sciences, natural sciences and a variety of medical disciplines, including anatomy and diagnostic imaging. In the present study, validated testing tools were used to compare spatial and general non-verbal reasoning abilities in first-year female veterinary medical students. These tests were: Guay’s Visualization of Views Test (GVVT) and, Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices Test, short form (APMT). Osteology Group (OG): students took the tests before and after exposure to general canine osteology (4 h). Dissection Group (DG): students took the tests before and after exposure to dissections/pro-sections/palpation labs (19 h). Results for the OG showed a numeric but non-significant increase in GVVT (p = 0.092), with mean scores of 8.01 and 11.34 pre-training and post-training, respectively. Similar results were found for the APMT, with pre-training and post-training mean scores of 7.44 and 8.44 (p = 0.16), respectively. Results for the DG showed a numeric but non-significant increase in GVVT (p = 0.67), with mean scores of 11.77 and 13.28 pre-labs and post-labs, respectively. For the APMT, the increase in scores was significant (p = 0.028), with mean scores of 6.8 and 10.2, pre-labs and post-labs, respectively. Future studies are planned with greater numbers of students and groups with different hours of anatomy exposure. Future studies might also consider subgroups such as pre-veterinary students.