Anatomy Knowledge: A critical Component of Clinical Care

Abstract

Many undergraduate medical school curricula have undergone changes resulting in reduced anatomy teaching time. We hypothesized that anatomy course development would be enhanced by understanding essential components of clinical anatomy. Surveys were administered to clinicians who were asked to rate the clinical relevance of anatomy using an 11 point likert scale. Clinicians were divided into 3 categories: Surgical (S, n = 30), procedural (P, n = 39), and non‐procedural specialist (NPS, n = 16) or primary care (NPP, n = 36). Clinicians categorized as S perceived that the role of anatomy in the clinic was more important (mean = 9.83) then other clinical groups. While each clinical group ranked anatomy as important in the clinic (mean ≥7), the NPP group's rating was the lowest (mean = 7.94). Physical exam was identified as an area of clinical care in which all specialties rely heavily on anatomy knowledge (average mean = 9.14). The role of anatomy in patient treatment and communication with colleagues were among the areas of clinical care which varied widely among the clinicians surveyed (p≤0.005), suggesting some specialty specific roles of clinical anatomy. The evidence obtained with this targeted needs assessment suggests the need for formal educational review of pertinent anatomy and will serve as the basis for courses designed to transition basic anatomical sciences to their application in the clinical setting.Grant Funding Source: n/a