Anatomy Curriculum and Teaching Insights From Medical Students in the United Kingdom: A National Survey

Undergraduate anatomy teaching in the UK has been progressively compressed, with reduced contact time and variable integration across medical programs. We examined final-year medical students' perceptions of anatomy teaching, focusing on total contact hours, longitudinal continuity, and exposure to traditional and emerging teaching modalities. A national cross-sectional survey was distributed to final-year students across 40 UK medical schools between December 2024 and February 2025. Satisfaction with anatomy teaching, perceived importance of anatomy for future practice, contact hours, continuity across program years, and exposure to specific teaching modalities and technologies were assessed. Comparative analyses used non-parametric tests and ANOVA with post hoc testing where appropriate. 628 students responded. Dissatisfaction was greatest for teaching quantity and continuity, whereas breadth, depth, and quality were rated more favourably. Students receiving more than 200 h of anatomy teaching reported significantly higher satisfaction than those receiving fewer than 200 h (p < 0.001). Satisfaction also varied by continuity pattern, with teaching delivered continuously over three or more years associated with higher satisfaction than shorter or non-continuous models (p < 0.01). Cadaveric dissection was the most preferred modality, but higher satisfaction was associated with exposure to selected adjuncts, particularly 3D imaging software and 3D printed models (both p < 0.001); VR/AR showed no significant association. Perceived importance of anatomy differed by intended specialty, with students interested in surgery rating anatomy as most important (p < 0.0001). Student dissatisfaction with UK undergraduate anatomy teaching appears to stem less from content coverage than from insufficient teaching time and poor longitudinal integration. Anatomy should be protected as a multi-year component of the curriculum, complemented by selectively integrated adjunctive tools rather than indiscriminate technology adoption.