Can professionalism be introduced in the gross anatomy course?

The purpose of the ongoing transformation of the US health care delivery system is to achieve high‐quality, accessible, and affordable medical care. Attainment of these goals depends largely on physicians, who acquired not only medical knowledge and clinical skills, but also have management, information technology, leadership, team building and interpersonal skills. In addition, personal integrity and high ethical standards with a deep sense of social responsibility are critical attributes for modern physicians to possess. Demands to educate such health care professionals have profound affect on changes in the medical school curricula, which now integrate and emphasize teaching of professionalism and its values. Learning professionalism takes time and experience; therefore, medical students need proper exposure to professional values from the first day of medical school. The traditional Gross Anatomy course is now utilized to introduce the fundamental concepts of professionalism. The dissection laboratory exposure teaches students respect, responsibility, and confidentiality. Today's medicine is a field of collaboration, and first year medical students, through anatomy laboratory, are able to experience teamwork, develop communication and leadership skills, as well as recognize their own limitations. Presently, Gross Anatomy is regarded as more than a traditional course of human structure; it is viewed as a course where new skills and competencies are taught to students entering the medical field.