Meet the Graduate Students

Upon arrival in Gainesville, I realized that this opportunity was a game-changer! I had been teaching Human A & P at community colleges which focused more on physiology and utilized typical plastic models, individual organs, and 2D imaging. Seeing the actual structures in the medical anatomy lab is teaching me the intricate relationships among the different body systems and clarifying even more the functional inter-relatedness of the body organization.

The ASE program is also about educational research. I am seeing first-hand the cutting edge of educational technology development and research in the College of Education, such as Artificial Intelligence, Eye-tracking, Virtual Reality, and Gamification.
I hope that I don’t die before I get to teach anatomy again!

Continuing my learning and growing in the anatomical sciences was my goal when applying for the program. I have always enjoyed learning about the human body, so why not share my love of anatomy with others in the form of teaching. After teaching at community college for a little while, I understood that there was still more for me to learn. So here I am in the ASE program at UF!

The ASE program has been better than I could have ever imagined. Delving into the intricacies of the human body and exploring the vast array of educational research has been quite an adventure. Also, being able to learn and shadow some of the best professors in the field is unparalleled. It has been a blessing to not only learn from scholars in the College of Medicine but also from those in the College of Education. I am excited for what the future holds!

Bradley R. Collins, M.D. is a doctoral student and graduate assistant in the University of Florida College of Medicine Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2015 and a doctor of medicine degree in 2019, both from University of Florida. After graduating from medical school, Dr. Collins decided to pursue a career in anatomical sciences education with the goal of helping medical students, dental students, and physician assistant students to discover the anatomical, clinical, and humanistic basis of medicine. He also aspires to advance the field of scholarship about teaching and learning in the health professions. Dr. Collins is a member of the American Association for Anatomy.

My interest in the anatomical sciences began at a young age when I found my first true passion in life: dance! Growing up as a dancer gave me a strong appreciation for the human body. What started as a hobby led to a genuine interest in learning more about the intricacies of human anatomy. After obtaining my Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology, I knew I wanted to use my love for anatomy to help others. This led me to pursue my Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy, a profession designed to improve a person’s quality of life through everyday occupations. It was during my time in OT school that I realized how much I loved learning and teaching anatomy in the classroom setting. So here I am in the ASE PhD program at UF!

This program has already opened my eyes to a whole new world of anatomy, cadaveric dissection, and educational research. The resources at UF have allowed me to deepen my learning and appreciation of the human body in ways I didn’t know were possible. In the future, I hope to use the knowledge I gain in this program to become a qualified educator in the anatomical sciences. I aspire to become a graduate level anatomy instructor to share my love for anatomy with others and help students discover their fullest learning potential in the classroom. I feel extremely lucky to be part of this unique program and am eager to discover what the future holds!