Anatomy museums of southern India and medical education: An original research

Abstract

Introduction: It is now mandatory for every medical college to have an anatomy museum and the purpose of this study was to analyse the role of anatomy museums in medical education in southern India. Methods: To achieve this objective sixteen anatomy museums across southern India were selected from reputed medical colleges and all aspects of the museum were studied from specimen preparation and preservation techniques to labelling, mounting, and display of specimens using a proforma. Results: It was observed that all the anatomy museums were well maintained and had a huge collection of anatomical specimens arranged in diverse sections such as gross anatomy, evolutionary anatomy, comparative anatomy, cross sectional anatomy, embryology, teratology and plastination. Two museums also had a section for learning within the museum. Conclusion: The study shows that the anatomy museums in medical colleges across south India are well established and play a significant role in medical education. It also provides an insight into the current status of anatomy museums in the country and scope for their improvisation. The modern pedagogic practises are becoming more virtual and digitalized and several modern international museums are now digitalised and this was lacking in all the museums. The author believes that the anatomists should utilise the advances in computer and audio-visual aids to upgrade the museums to international standards. Key words: Anatomy museums; Digitalisation; Medical education; Museum techniques