Initial effects of Covid-19 pandemic on graduate anatomy education in Turkey

Abstract

Objectives: Meeting the growing need for quality anatomy researcher-educator is a difficult task. Graduate anatomy programs in Turkey that consist of Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, and Specialty in Medicine aim to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic either paused or halted higher education worldwide. This sectional study aims to outline the initial effects of the pandemic on graduate anatomy education in Turkey. Methods: An online survey was distributed among graduate students. The survey evaluated educational and research activities prior and during the pandemic, institutional adaptations, and future projections. Results: Answers of 51 female and 19 male students (response rate 36.6%) were included in the study. There were 10 MSc (14.3%), 45 PhD (64.3%), and 15 Residency (21.4%) students. Seminars, journal clubs, and case presentations completely ceased in Residency programs. Conversely, online lectures significantly decreased in MSc and PhD programs exclusively. Programs that used blended learning methods were viewed as more effective and better adapted to the pandemic. Students favored transferring lectures (94%), seminars (67%), journal clubs (67%), and case presentations (60%) to online resources. Conversely, they contradicted the online transfer of practice (30%) and dissection (7%) hours. Conclusion: Despite its low response rate, this sectional study summarizes the initial adaptation of graduate educational programs in Turkey to the Covid-19 pandemic. It also provides insight on future curriculum development. Further studies are needed to outline how much content of graduate programs might be delivered online effectively.