Introduction to Anatomy at Stanford Medicine: Exploring the Thorax

In this course, students will explore cadaver specimens and digital technologies used by Stanford medical students as they prepare for careers in the health sciences and by surgeons in the treatment and care of patients.

Though cadaver specimens are the foundation of instruction at Stanford, digital resources such as the Anatomage 3D Virtual Anatomy Dissection Table and 3D interactive anatomy apps provide students and practitioners with data for visualizing the spatial relationships between anatomical structures and the full extent of specific anatomy that may be difficult to explore on a cadaver.

Students will learn how to identify anatomical structures and common clinical conditions affecting the organs of the thorax and the chest wall.

Students will also observe, on cadaver specimens, surgical procedures to treat those conditions.

The course will offer students an insight into the combination of anatomy resources and imaging that makes learning anatomy at Stanford a unique experience.

This course is the fourth in a series on human anatomy titled “Introduction to Anatomy at Stanford Medicine.” Each course focuses on a different area of the human anatomy—the upper extremity (Fall 2025), the abdomen and reproductive system (Winter 2026), the brain (Spring 2026), and the thorax (Summer 2026).

While these courses build upon one another, each course can be taken independently as well.