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Musculoskeletal anatomy knowledge in Australian chiropractors
Rosemary Giuriato1,2, Goran Štrkalj1, Tania Prvan3
1Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Anatomical Sciences Education
|July 4, 2021
Summary
Australian chiropractors retain significant musculoskeletal anatomy knowledge after graduation. Their self-assessments accurately reflect their objective knowledge, demonstrating effective retention from university to clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Chiropractic Education
- Anatomy Knowledge Retention
- Musculoskeletal Anatomy
Background:
- Anatomy is fundamental to chiropractic education.
- Potential for knowledge decay exists between academic study and clinical application.
- Assessing anatomy knowledge retention in practicing chiropractors is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if practicing Australian chiropractors retain anatomy knowledge comparable to chiropractic students.
- To compare chiropractors' self-assessed anatomical knowledge with objective test results.
- To investigate the correlation between self-assessment accuracy and knowledge retention.
Main Methods:
- A validated multiple-choice questionnaire was used to assess limb musculoskeletal (MSK) anatomy knowledge.
- 101 registered Australian chiropractors completed the test.
- Scores were compared against those of undergraduate and postgraduate chiropractic students.
Main Results:
- Practitioners demonstrated significantly higher scores than undergraduate students (36.5% vs. undergraduate mean).
- Practitioner scores were not significantly different from postgraduate students (52.2% vs. postgraduate mean).
- A weak positive correlation was found between chiropractors' self-rated knowledge and test performance.
Conclusions:
- Australian chiropractors effectively retain musculoskeletal anatomy knowledge during the transition to clinical practice.
- Practicing chiropractors accurately self-assess their anatomy knowledge.
- The findings support the continued proficiency of chiropractors in anatomical knowledge.
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