New concepts and advances in anatomy education from an international perspective and their implications
10.3760/cma.j.cn116021-20250612-02107
- VernacularTitle:国际视野下解剖学教育的新理念新进展及借鉴
- Author:
Baozhi SUN
1
Author Information
1. 中国医科大学医学教育评价改革研究院，沈阳 110122
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Anatomy education;
New concept;
Implication
- From:
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research
2025;24(9):1153-1157
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Over the past century in the global modern medical education system, anatomy has consistently served as the foundational course in professional medical training, with the use of preserved human bodies for anatomical instruction remaining the predominant paradigm. In 2012, the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists issued recommendations concerning human body donation and research, explicitly advocating for the use of voluntarily donated cadavers and the cessation of ethically contentious practices. Medical anthropologist Elizabeth Hallam introduced the concept of "relational anatomy", wherein anatomists, donors, and medical students form a dynamic interactive network. This concept emphasizes respect and dignified treatment of body donors while fostering a learning environment conducive to the formation of physicians' professional identities. This article presents examples of innovative teaching methods employing visual technologies such as augmented reality, which have been successfully employed to teach complex anatomical structures, such as the nervous system, that are difficult to observe in real cadavers. These successes demonstrate that integrating modern information technologies with traditional hands-on anatomical methods represents a key direction for anatomical education reform in the new era.
