Interview with Virginia T. Lyons, Ph.D

Why did you feel that it was important to write Netter’s Essential Systems-Based Anatomy? What does your publication add to the field?  

Many health professions schools utilize an organ systems-based approach for some or all of their preclinical curriculum, however most resources for anatomy education are presented in a regional format.  I felt that learners needed a resource that correlated with the way they are learning anatomy in their courses.  

What is the most exciting aspect of Netter’s Essential Systems-Based Anatomy? What chapter or topic covered in this title are you most excited about?  

I am particularly excited about the layout of the book, as I believe it is organized in a manner that promotes efficient and effective learning of the material. Each set of facing pages focuses on one topic: text is presented on the left side and the corresponding images are on the right, thus readers do not have to search for appropriate figures. Additionally, many topics include a clinical focus to emphasize why the information is relevant to learners’ future careers. 

Who will find the greatest value from Netter’s Essential Systems-Based Anatomy and why?  

One of my goals was to write a book in concise, straight-forward language that learners of all levels could understand. Although the text was mainly designed for health professions students, I believe it is also appropriate for introductory learners that are studying anatomy in undergraduate school. 

Is there anything else about Netter’s Essential Systems-Based Anatomy you’d like to say?  

Elsevier is working on a version of Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy that will be organized by organ system and will correlate with the organization of this text. I look forward to having both of those resources available to students together to enhance their learning experience. 

Virginia T. Lyons, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Medical Education and the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Hanover, NH.  She received her BS degree in Biology from Rochester Institute of Technology and her PhD in Cell Biology and Anatomy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Dr. Lyons has devoted her career to education in the anatomical sciences, teaching gross anatomy, histology, embryology and neuroanatomy to medical students and other health professions students. 

Order your copy of Netter’s Essential Systems-Based Anatomy here!