Structure & Function Students Excel Nationally

by Kyle Spencer, Public Relations Writer – December 7, 2016

Structure and Function scores rank in 99th percentile nationally

Cedarville University’s human biology students are excelling nationally. Last year, Cindy Wingert, assistant professor of biology, administered the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society’s (HAPS) exam for her Human Structure and Function class, and the class’s average score ranked in the 99th percentile nationally.  

The HAPS comprehensive exam was established in June of 1993 as a standardized assessment form for two-semester undergraduate anatomy and physiology courses. The validated exam is administered online in a secure platform. The exam allowed Wingert to compare the performance of her class with the rest of the nation, and results were well above average. Wingert's class average was a 76.09 percent as compared to the national average of 51.79 percent. Additionally, one of Wingert's students achieved the highest score ever recorded for the exam, a 93 percent. 
“Such a high score,” said Wingert, “is evidence that we are holding our students to high academic standards and that they are rising to the occasion.” 

“Prof. Wingert did not cut us any slack in our understanding of the material,” said Luke Richardson, a pre-med senior at Cedarville. “We could not just memorize; we really had to have a deep comprehension of the body systems and how they interact with each other.”  

A unique way the students were able to achieve a deep understanding of human anatomy and physiology was through hands-on lab experiences with cadavers. 

“One distinct factor that sets our class apart,” said Sarah Berman, another test taker and a first-year graduate pharmacy student at Cedarville, “is the experience Cedarville students get with cadavers. The best way to learn is always when you can see and experience the material, and our labs really emphasized that.”

The outstanding performance on the HAPS exam indicates that Cedarville students are well prepared for graduate level study of human biology, and the results give Cedarville graduates a distinct and competitive advantage when they matriculate into medical school, pharmacy school and other allied health related professions. 

“Past Cedarville students who are now in medical school,” said Richardson, “make it clear that learning structure and function at Cedarville was great preparation for the next level.”   

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,760 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.