The anatomical education program at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV has rapidly evolved into one of the most advanced in the region. Housed in the school’s 135,000-square-foot medical education building, made possible through the generosity of the Nevada Health and Bioscience Corporation (NHBC), the program combines state-of-the-art facilities with innovative curriculum design, offering students access to human body dissection, plastinated specimens, virtual reality platforms, and digital anatomy tools.

Transforming the Curriculum

Since joining UNLV in 2023, Dr. Aftab Merchant, professor of medical education and assistant dean for anatomical education, has led a transformation of anatomical sciences at the school, building on his prior role as discipline lead for anatomy across the three campuses of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. At UNLV, he has drawn on his expertise in curriculum design and educational leadership to create a program that blends traditional dissection with technology-enhanced learning.