BY KARISSA MILLER

The Iredell-Statesville Schools Career Technical Education Department has acquired a new state-of-the-art 3D anatomy table.

According to CTE Director Tim Woody, the touch-screen anatomy table offers an innovative approach to teaching human anatomy and physiology by allowing students to visualize thousands of anatomical structures and perform virtual dissections just as they would on a real human body.

Woody provided a quick demonstration of the 3D anatomy table to a group of nursing students at the Career Academy and Technical School in Troutman on Friday.

“It’s pretty cool that you can see the insides of the person through this table. I also like that you can look at different X-rays on there,” said Nursing Fundamentals instructor Jamie Head.

The table will allow her to show students how the blood flows through the heart, muscles and endocrine system, bringing to life what might normally be shown in a diagram.

Woody showed students that the 3D table allows you to explore CT renderings, embryology (study of a fetus), radiology, histology (study of the cells) and animal anatomy.

“The animal anatomy exploration,” Woody said, “takes it out of CTE and opens it up to biology classes and veterinarian sciences.”

The 3D table will be available for the nursing students to explore after they complete their clinicals and exams, Woody said.

Sadie Little, a West Iredell High School senior, just finished up her clinicals at Iredell Memorial Hospital and the Gordon Hospice House.

Little said that her clinical experiences have helped her develop empathy and put into action other core nursing values.

After she earns her Certified Nursing Assistant degree, she plans to attent Mitchell Community College and work toward becoming a Registered Nurse.

The 3D anatomy table could also help students like Little develop an interest in a medical specialty, such as oncology, Woody said.

Students can explore the table and also read up on different topics of interest to them. Starting in January, Woody plans to take the 3D table to high schools across the district to show other students.

Most 3D tables are found in colleges and universities. The district purchased one that has USB drives so students can save their work and images. The table can also be stood up and the images displayed vertically, which is a great tool for teachers, he said.

“It’s a tool that can create a spark or ignite a student’s curiosity. At the same time, it’s interactive, more exploratory and might get students interested in becoming a doctor or go into another avenue of medicine,” Woody explained.

The anatomy table was purchased through funds in the CTE budget. Eventually, Woody hopes I-SS will purchase one for every high school.

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