The place of anatomy in medical education: AMEE Guide no 41

Abstract

This Guide, a combined work by three authors from different countries, provides perspectives into the history of teaching gross anatomy, briefly, from the earliest of times, through to a detailed examination of curricula in both traditional didactic approaches and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curricula. The delivery of a module within a curriculum in tertiary education is interplay between the content (knowledge and skills) of a subject, the teaching staff involved, the students and their approaches to learning, and the philosophy underpinning the delivery of the learning material. The work is divided into sections that deal with approaches to learning anatomy from the perspective of students, to delivery of the content of the curriculum by lecturers, including the assessment of knowledge, and itemises the topics that could be considered important for an appropriate anatomy module in an integrated course, delivered in a way that emphasises clinical application. The work concludes by looking to the future, and considering what measures may need to be addressed to ensure the continued development of anatomy as a clinically relevant subject in any medical curriculum.