Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’,
Technological Educational Institute of Athens
_SPECIAL ARTICLE_
Modern
teaching
and
learning
of
anatomy
in
Health
Professions’
undergraduate
and
postgraduate
training
curricula
Anastasios A.Vartholomaios
MD,PhD Consultant Histopathologist, State Forensic Pathology Service, Thessaloniki
1.
ABSTRACT
Background: Last years it is debatable whether cadaveric dissection is the more
indicated method for the learning of gross anatomy, while there has been a vast
increase in claims associated with the lack of anatomical knowledge. Modern medical
imaging techniques and the wide availability of quite stunning digital images of the
body have revolutionized teaching and learning and greatly facilitated this approach.
Computer-assisted learning (CAL) is an effective supplement to conventional methods
of teaching anatomy ,since it provides the student with an important additional
resource and facilitates alternative modes of learning. Also the plan to teach
anatomy within a pathologic and clinical context and to relate form and structure
with function in health and disease makes learning anatomy more attractive and has a
greater appeal for the student. This plan for
a new pathologically orientated and
clinically applied, structuring of the content of the courses is especially supported
by the above reformation of teaching methodology through new imaging and digital
technology.
Key words: Αnatomy, teaching, learning, digital, imaging, techniques.
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Dr.Anastasios A.Vartholomaios,MD,PhD
Consultant Histopathologist
17th Noemvri 16, A.Toumba
543 52 Thessaloniki,Greece
Tel: 2310 944949
E-mail: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
A
natomy
has
longest
discipline
arguably
history
in
as
the
structure or morphology but the
a
human anatomist is likened to a
formalised
geographer
of
health sciences education. Human
Regarded
as
anatomy is not just the study of
component
of
the
human
an
the
body.
integral
medical
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Modern teaching and learning of anatomy in Health Professions’ undergraduate and
postgraduate training curricula
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 4 (October – December 2012)
curriculum, a sound knowledge in
revolutionized
human
learning and greatly facilitated
anatomy
health
prepares
sciences
the
undergraduate
teaching
and
this approach.2
for his future training in the
Gross anatomy is considered the
clinical
cornerstone
disciplines.
anatomy
and
Learning
understanding
the
in
the
professions
health
curriculum.
structure of the body relates to
Cadaveric dissection has been a
its
regular
functions
has
been
the
feature
in
anatomy
foundation of medical education
teaching
and
of
In fact, dissection evolved into
health
part of the culture in medical
learnt
education.
practice
years.
for
hundreds
Historically
professions
anatomy
students
by
literally
taking
a
since the Renaissance.
Last
debatable
years
whether
it
is
cadaveric
body apart. In recent times this
dissection is necessary for the
approach has been questioned and
learning
students may be expected to know
Besides, it is acknowledged that
their way around, the body using
there are barriers to the use of
different
human cadavers for teaching. The
strategies
based
technology.1
modern
professionals
must
have
on
of
Health
practical
“x-ray
with
anatomy.3
gross
problems
dissection
are
the
of
time
vision”, that is when examining
increased
a
required for study of anatomy by
patient
or
performing
a
length
associated
clinical procedure must have in
dissection,
mind a tree-dimensional image of
knowledge
and
what lies beneath the skin. In
load
the
and
the
taught
modules
difficulties
in
acquisition
the
within the anatomist community,
both
within
of
normal
between
the
different
individuals
same
times
Modern
variation
individual
of
and
availability
of
the
quite
there
are
differing
Even
viewpoints
at
as to whether the new methods of
life.
teaching anatomy are better than
imaging
the traditional use of cadaveric
wide
dissection. In a survey of 112
their
medical
techniques
and
cadavers.
4
addition they should be aware of
range
of
increased
stunning
digital images of the body have
professional
found
that
anatomists
the
it
was
order
of
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Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’,
Technological Educational Institute of Athens
preference for teaching methods
quite
a
(in
been
raised
descending
cadaveric
order)
dissection
was
by
lot
educational
radiological
as
aided
learning
computer-
(CAL),
didactic
models.5
teaching
rest
world
from
claim
of
should
allow
that
the
and
understanding
Integration
The
evidence
most
crisis.
frequently
will
is the assertion that there has
retention
been a vast increase in claims
knowledge
associated
relevance.
the
lack
of
For
was
human
on
the
finding
that
of
crisis.
newer
of
and
health
its
is
the
was
basis;
related
vascular
to
surgery
clinical
professionals,
body
focus
of
intervention
for
on
general
and
reason, the study of anatomy in
that
lack
some
daily
the
reason
and
a
and
anatomical
and
claims
teaching
interest
investigation
commonest
towards
this
"damage to underlying structures"
the
anatomy
better teaching
encourage
anatomical knowledge. This claim
based
a
and
modalities and modern technology
quoted for the so called crisis
with
and
in
and
in
well
technology
Europe
in
as
So, more efficient
methods
overcoming
is
of
hazards
7
new
teaching and learning of anatomy
universities
have
use
principles
practicality.
use
reports
against
costs,
lectures alone, and the use of
Recent
arguments
cadavers, including cultural or
students, prosection, living and
anatomy,
of
form
will
for
continue
be
essential
important
such
practice.
This
core knowledge of anatomy to be
errors.6.
intraoperative
crisis
of
is
attributed
to
safe
to
of knowledge of anatomy is one
cause
to
this
It
is
assimilated
medical
necessary
by
all
health
inadequate time being allocated
professionals
to
practice and communicate safely.
the
subject
opportunities
cadavers.
and
to
Also,
decreased
dissect
although
Balances
and
in
for
order
between
assimilation
application
of
anyway,
is important, few object to the
established
move away from endless hours of
teaching
cadaver
metamorphosis.8,9 It may be true
Besides,
as
yet
anatomy,
everyone would agree that anatomy
dissection.
have
to
the
undergo
to
methods
be
of
another
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Modern teaching and learning of anatomy in Health Professions’ undergraduate and
postgraduate training curricula
HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 4 (October – December 2012)
that
most
health
professionals
is
an
effective
supplement
to
do not need to dissect a cadaver
conventional methods of teaching
or study a prosection in order
anatomy
,since
to
student
with
practice,
improve
but
their
if
it
can
understanding
of
it
provides
an
additional
the
important
resource
and
what they do and why they do it,
facilitates alternative modes of
this surely has to be of benefit
learning that are well suited to
both
the requirements of students in
for
the
safety
of
the
patient and satisfaction of them
subjects
as professionals.
professions.13,14
Designing
courses
that
produce
UK
allied
medical
to
health
schools
students with less understanding
transforming
of human anatomy is not a viable
students learn anatomy with the
option. Faced with the challenge
help
of
programme.15,16 It
develops and
enhances
of
teaching
less
find
time,
more
it
is
anatomy
necessary
how
media
inside
the
and
to
to
outside
would
combine
technology
traditional
that
interactive
provide
of
way
anatomy
a
range
their
software
learning
objects that are used alongside
text books and clinical practice
in the teaching of anatomy. The
beauty
that
of
they
these
are
softwares
based
on
is
real
with
images not artists’ impressions;
and
it is also the fact that one can
learning.
reconstruct, rotate and examine
classroom
laboratory-based
require
of
and
they
Knowing
learn
classroom
instructional
students
prefer
a 3D image on a 2D screen. This
exercises
that
makes it easier for students to
problem
solving
immediate
academic teachers
based
with
how students should employ
instructional
more
anatomy
the
are
computer
and
contextualise
their
learning
feedback,
more effectively than they would
look at web-
through text book images alone.
exercises
that
They
provide
comprehensive
have proved to be a popular mean
range
to
enhance
images, animations and detailed
learning.10-12
text for use in healthcare and
Computer-assisted learning (CAL)
patient education. They not only
supplement
traditional
and
of
a
three-dimensional
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Health Science Journal © All rights reserved
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Quarterly scientific, online publication by Department of Nursing A’,
Technological Educational Institute of Athens
offer
accurate
but
also
offer
images
that
up
24
to
clinical
rotate
layers
detail
become more integrated, which is
interactive
the most essential target in the
and
for
display
in-depth
undergraduate
education
of
health professionals.21
anatomical exploration.17-19
Classroom activities in anatomy
Modern
teaching
health
education
professions
demands
a
direct
might
students
intend
about
to
teach
articles
transfer of preclinical learning
scientific
objectives
as about scientific writing as a
and
practice.
Universities
designed
than
clinical
courses
that,
presenting
memorization,
how
a
have
and
function
rather
learning
details
student
anatomy
have
for
transformed
thinks
about
assimilates
new
periodicals
in
of
anatomy.
aid
understanding
diagrams
use
graphs
scientific
These
students
the
and
well
inquiry-based
in
activities
as
to
in
knowledge, using common surgical
science
and medical cases as the core of
of
the
revised
articles and the composition of
was
found
anatomy
that
approach
course.
this
It
clinical
focuses
students'
the
of
convey
information
journals,
in
abstracts
science
for
anatomy
of
promising
future
application
function
of
students
of
the
structure-
relationships,
freeing
hours
and
from
regarding
anatomy projects.22
Moreover,
reasoning
science
articles
attention on the critical skills
spatial
creation
postgraduate
has
also
clinical
a
in
training
while
in health professions education.
endless
Detailed knowledge from specific
memorization
that
produces little true learning.
20
fields
of
integrated
anatomy
into
should
be
postgraduate
The plan to teach anatomy within
training
when
a clinical context and to relate
clinically
relevant,
form
health professionals to practice
and
makes
structure
learning
attractive
appeal
teaching
and
for
the
anatomy
on
function
anatomy
has
a
greater
student.
and
more
So,
teaching
more
safely
and
they
are
allowing
accurately
and
also to be provided by a strong
base
for
future
clinical
developments.23
clinical sciences and expertise
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Modern teaching and learning of anatomy in Health Professions’ undergraduate and
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HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL®
Volume 6, Issue 4 (October – December 2012)
Concerning
anatomy
the
structure
of
material
for
teaching
performing
a
examination and may be vital in
health professionals, functional
treatment
anatomy
significance
is
the
indicated
physical
with
upmost
in
surgical
framework, that is anatomy with
procedures. Clinical
anatomy is
a
and
the
application
anatomy
simple
the
symptoms
functional
application
3
and
ways
study
not
a
discipline.17,21 There
morphology
are
essence
of
of
organizing
functional
:systemic,
the
anatomy
regional
and
experienced
have
the
a
generous
text
anatomy,
but
to
by
recommendations
of
clinical
variations
sequential
the
percentage
related
substantial.
of
to
patients. Certain new textbooks
clinical. Systemic anatomy is a
study
of
Anatomic
are
societies
contain
20%
of
functional systems of the body.
clinically-related terms, though
It
this
is
usually
tackled
in
curricula.
how
anatomy
integrated
It
often
sense
to
group
work
together
is
medical
could
optimal
be
taken
proportion
for
does
make
curriculum
structures
that
oriented24.This plan for
to
is
applied
structuring
particular function because they
content
of
will share common physiological
especially
mechanisms
above
some
have
the
the
a new
of
courses
supported
reformation
an
clinically
a
and
perform
that
as
by
of
the
is
the
teaching
physiological effects across the
methodology through new imaging
entire body, as is the case with
and digital technology.18,22,24
the
nervous,
endocrine
and
immune system. Regional anatomy
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Technological Educational Institute of Athens
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