The discipline of anatomy is an integral part of curriculum for Medical, Dental and Health Sciences programs. The evolution in undergraduate medical school curricula has significantly impacted the anatomy education. The application of anatomical knowledge plays a crucial role in daily clinical practice. This review was aimed to evaluate the anatomical knowledge among the medical, dental and health science professionals, and their perceptions on application of anatomical knowledge in clinical practice. A computerized literature search which includes PubMed, Web of knowledge and Ovid Medline, was performed. The studies in the English language and published in year 2000 onwards were included. Most of the studies were done in UK and Spain followed by Australia, US and Canada. The studies conducted among Medical and Chiropractic professions were 50% and 14% respectively. The rest of the studies were doneamong dentistry, podiatry, physiotherapy, radiographer and nursing students. The students with preclinical exposure scored significantly higher than those without preclinical exposure. The medical students and clinical educators perceived that the application of anatomical knowledge is not strong enough for clinical practice. The virtual medical museum, case-based learning, peer-assisted learning, inter-professional forum and the recapitulation of anatomy in clinical years are suggested to improve in anatomy education. The curriculum design, early clinical exposure, revision of course content, adequacy of learning resources and assessment methods contribute to enhance the students’ learning and their ability to apply the anatomical knowledge in daily practice.

Keywords: Anatomical knowledge, application, Medical, Dental, Health Science Professionals

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Htar Htar Aung

Department of Human Biology, School of Medicine, International, Medical University, Malaysia

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