Radiologist’s views on anatomical knowledge amongst junior doctors and the teaching of anatomy in medical curricula

Abstract

Reduced teaching resources, increasing student numbers and congested medical curricula have led to reports of inadequate anatomical knowledge among newly qualified doctors, placing scrutiny on pre-clinical education. We wished to gauge the opinions of practicing radiologists on undergraduate anatomy education. Members of the Irish Faculty of Radiologists were invited to complete a questionnaire based on anatomy teaching practices, its relevance and the standards of anatomical knowledge at graduation. Out of 67 respondents, 69% were of senior grade, with the majority working in diagnostic radiology. Respondents universally agreed that anatomy is central to radiology; however, decade of graduation significantly influenced radiologist’s level of satisfaction with their anatomical knowledge at the start of their training. Fifty percent believed that the cadaver should remain the cornerstone of anatomy education. The vast majority of radiologists agreed that radiology and anatomy should be taught in tandem during pre-clinical training to better prepare students for clinical practice. Practicing radiologists believed they were best positioned to deliver radiology-based anatomy teaching. CT and MRI respectively were proposed as the preferred imaging modalities for teaching anatomy, although free comments showed varied opinion on how radiology and cadaveric anatomy should be integrated. Radiologists were also concerned with the anatomical knowledge of the junior doctor. This study may add to the debate concerning the vertical integration of anatomy in medical education and may help inform the delivery of radiology in the anatomy curriculum.