Beyond facts: the deeper responsibility of teachers to their students (339.1)

Anatomists are masters of factual information. Indeed, we take pride in setting the factual foundation upon which students can appreciate structure from the molecular to gross levels. As medical curricula change, countless hours have been spent morphing courses and material to accommodate new requirements for conveying the “core” material. Although focused upon daily tasks, teachers, particularly anatomists given our role as gatekeepers to the story of human form, carry a responsibility even greater than transmitting our treasured facts. The power of the podium, combined with the nature of the material, places us in a position of both great responsibility and unique, formative influence. Indeed, the sense of respect we transmit ‐ or fail to transmit ‐ regarding the sacredness of the body will shape a student’s perception and actions more than our eloquence regarding the brachial plexus or epithelial cells. The very manner in which our malleable charges will view others is, in large part, formed by how we convey the imperative of respect for human structure and its diversity. Lessons from the past, such as the abrogation of such teaching during the era of Nazi Germany, played a significant role in allowing disrespect to morph into the incomprehensible atrocities that followed. We must never lose sight of the moral imperative to raise not only our students’ factual knowledge but their appreciation of human value as well.