Muhammad Saeed, Rameez Iqbal Hashmi, Ashraf Hussain, Syeda Arooj, Muhammad Aamir, Attiya Khalid.
Knowledge of anatomy: where do we stand?.
J Dow Uni Health Sci Jan ;3(3):95-6.

Objectives: Anatomy education has undergone enormous transformation in the last decade. Traditional topographic anatomy taught by didactic lectures and complete dissection of the body has been replaced by a wide range of special study modules, learning strategies and teaching tools. The present study was designed to provide a snapshot of the working knowledge of anatomy prevalent among Pakistani medical students and residents in this changing scenario. Study Design: A cross-sectional study conducted through a mini-test questionnaire completed by 325 medical students & junior doctors randomly selected from four different medical institutions of Pakistan. Results: Among 325 medical students and junior doctors, only 10% were able to identify all anatomical structures correctly, whereas 24% candidates identified =70% anatomical landmarks. Thirty nine percent of the junior doctors and medical students were able to identify =50% anatomical structures. The best anatomical knowledge was reflected by first year medical students whereas the worst performance was shown by residents. There was insignificant variation in the performance of candidates from different private medical schools; however the results of candidates from public sector institution were astounding. Conclusion: The decay in anatomical knowledge over time portrays that residents would try to fill their anatomy deficiency during surgical residency rather learning surgical skills. The medical educationists should find-out the root cause of this deterioration. We propose a randomized trial using problem solving test items to identify the exact intensity of the problem prevalent among Pakistani medical students and residents.

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