Anatomy education and clinical practice: students' views.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy
• Clinical Practice Relevance

Background:

• Anatomy education is foundational for medical students.
• Understanding student perspectives on anatomy's clinical relevance is crucial for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate medical students' views on the relevance of anatomy education to clinical practice.
• To identify areas for improvement in anatomy curricula at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.
• Involved 134 first-year and 87 senior students (fourth- and fifth-year).
• Utilized Likert scale and open-ended questions to gather data.

Main Results:

• Junior students found anatomy helpful for medical terminology and 3D visualization.
• Senior students expressed lower confidence in anatomy's direct relevance to clinical skills and evidence-based medicine.
• Both groups felt anatomy education did not adequately develop self-confidence, teamwork, or communication skills.

Conclusions:

• Students desire anatomy courses focused on clinically relevant content.
• Integration of traditional and modern teaching methods, small group work, and clinically contextualized learning outcomes are recommended.
• Curriculum redesign should prioritize functional and clinical applicability of anatomical knowledge.