Teaching anatomy through imaging: single-centre retrospective analysis from NOVA medical school between 2012 and 2020

Abstract

The main challenges for teaching anatomy and radiology for undergraduate medical students rely on the limited available time and large volume of information. To face these challenges, many medical schools have merged anatomy and radiology teaching. Clinical and imaging anatomy is a course created for undergraduate medical students of the second year, second semester, from the NOVA medical school, run by the imaging and anatomy departments. A retrospective analysis of this course was performed from 2012/2013 through 2019/2020, using the student’s questionnaires at the end of each semester. More than 90% of students found that the allotted time for this course was adequate and that the information provided was important for the future medical practice. The overall satisfaction rate with the theoretical and practical teaching was greater than 75%. The mean global satisfaction with the course was superior to 75%. Based on the student’s responses, over 85% reported that the radiological anatomy teaching was well accomplished. However, the teaching of anatomy and radiology should be revisited during the last, clinical years of the undergraduate medicine course.