Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 2, 2026
08:56
Techniques for Investigating the Anatomy of the Ant Visual System
Published on: November 27, 2017
14.7K
Profession-Related Accreditation Requirements in Australia Regarding Anatomy Teaching: A Web-Based Desktop Audit
Anita Zacharias1,2, Daniel J English3, Jennifer Selkirk-Bell1
1Department of Rural Clinical Sciences, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
Clinical Anatomy (New York, N.Y.)
|April 1, 2026
Summary
Australian health professional accreditation standards offer limited guidance on anatomy curriculum content and teaching. This gap highlights a need for improved standards to ensure foundational anatomy knowledge for future practitioners.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy Education
- Health Professions Education
- Curriculum Development
Background:
- Effective and safe healthcare practice relies on health professionals' understanding of functional anatomy.
- Professional registration bodies and associations set standards that influence health curricula.
- Anatomy is a foundational science for numerous health disciplines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific professional accreditation standards in Australia related to anatomy content and teaching.
- To assess the extent to which anatomy is explicitly addressed in accreditation requirements across various health professions.
Main Methods:
- A web-based desktop audit of professional accreditation standards was performed.
- Content analysis was applied to identify specific anatomy requirements for 20 health professions.
- Disciplines included Audiology, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, and others.
Main Results:
- Only six of the 20 surveyed disciplines had explicit anatomy curriculum or teaching requirements.
- Four disciplines (Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Midwifery) lacked specific anatomy curriculum specifications.
- Most disciplines focused on general requirements for teaching approaches and learning environments rather than specific anatomy content.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant lack of specific guidance from Australian professional bodies regarding anatomy education in health courses.
- The current accreditation standards do not sufficiently ensure consistent and adequate anatomy knowledge for all health professionals.
- Further research is needed to inform the development of robust accreditation standards for anatomy in health professional education.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Overview of Anatomy and Physiology
40.5K
Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body's structures. Some of these structures are very small and can only be observed and analyzed with the assistance of a microscope. Other larger structures can readily be seen, manipulated, measured, and weighed. The word "anatomy" comes from a Greek root that means "to cut apart." Human anatomy was first studied by observing the body's exterior and the wounds of soldiers and other injuries. Later, physicians were allowed to...
40.5K
01:20Anatomical Terminology
29.7K
Knowledge of anatomy is essential to understand human biology and medicine. Anatomists and health care professionals use standard terminology to describe the human body with more precision and no ambiguity. Anatomical terms have mostly Greek and Latin-derived roots. Because these languages are rarely used in conversation, the meaning of words remains the same. Each term is made up of a root in between the prefixes and suffixes. The root of a term often refers to an organ, tissue, or condition,...
29.7K
00:55Skeletal Muscle Anatomy
95.7K
Skeletal muscle is the most abundant type of muscle in the body. Tendons are the connective tissue that attaches skeletal muscle to bones. Skeletal muscles pull on tendons, which in turn pull on bones to carry out voluntary movements.
95.7K
01:11Anatomical Positions
22.1K
In anatomy, several standard anatomical positions are used as references for describing the position and orientation of different body parts. These positions help provide a common frame of reference when discussing anatomical structures. The anatomical position is the standard reference point for describing the body's position and orientation. In this position:
The body is upright, facing forward, and standing erect.
The feet are parallel and flat on the floor.
The arms are hanging by the...
The body is upright, facing forward, and standing erect.
The feet are parallel and flat on the floor.
The arms are hanging by the...
22.1K
01:17Gross Anatomy of Bone
13.7K
The two main features of a long bone are the diaphysis and the epiphysis.
The diaphysis is the tubular shaft that runs between the proximal and distal ends of the bone. The walls of the diaphysis are composed of dense and hard compact bone made of numerous osteons — the functional unit of the compact bone. The hollow region in the diaphysis is called the medullary cavity, which harbors the bone marrow. In infants and children, this marrow cavity is filled with red marrow, whereas in...
The diaphysis is the tubular shaft that runs between the proximal and distal ends of the bone. The walls of the diaphysis are composed of dense and hard compact bone made of numerous osteons — the functional unit of the compact bone. The hollow region in the diaphysis is called the medullary cavity, which harbors the bone marrow. In infants and children, this marrow cavity is filled with red marrow, whereas in...
13.7K
01:12Gross Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles
25.4K
The connective tissues play a significant role in arranging the muscle fibers into a hierarchical structure that forms a complete muscle. Consider a muscle like the bicep brachii, commonly called the bicep. This muscle comprises thousands of muscle fibers enclosed by a protective layer of connective tissue called the endomysium. The endomysium is primarily composed of reticular fibers, a type of thin collagen fiber. It allows the exchange of nutrients and waste products at the fiber level,...
25.4K