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The changing landscape of anatomical education: one opinion on how we might increase the value of our stock
Author(s) -
Haines Duane E.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.64.1
Subject(s) - terminology , medicine , value (mathematics) , medical terminology , medical physics , psychology , computer science , linguistics , philosophy , machine learning , nursing
Advances in medicine over the last 25 years have significantly improved the treatment of patients and, perhaps unwittingly, presented unique opportunities to the medical educator. While these advances were the product of medical exigency they have given medical educators unique innovations to embrace and use to their own advantage. The real question is, are we really integrating clinical concepts, information, or content in our courses? MRI and CT are unique and powerful educational tools that function in parallel with clinical terminology. During the time period in which these methods have become commonplace, there have been repeated efforts to reduce or diminish course content in the anatomical sciences. Have we, as medical educators, allowed this decease in emphasis to occur by our failure to embrace the very tools and concepts that show the absolute essential value of anatomy in medical education? There are several examples where MRI, CT, or clinical terminology, can be used to significant advantage in the basic science setting. First, CT and MRI show anatomy in vivo ; such images should be an integral, if not dominate, part of gross anatomy. Second, when teaching cross‐sectional anatomy, "laterality" must be taken into account. A cross‐section in an "anatomical" orientation that does not match a corresponding MRI or CT is intrinsically flawed. Third, brainstem "anatomy" should be taught to match the "anatomy" in MRI; otherwise clinical correlations are difficult to make and time consuming to explain. Fourth, there are numerous examples where a clinical term can be used to designate an anatomical structure within its proper context.