Human Anatomy Tutoring Promotes Improvement of the Student's Teaching and Learning Process

Abstract

The academic tutoring activity is understood as an educational support exercise officially instituted in Brazilian universities. The teaching‐assistant, while supporting the teaching‐learning process of fellow students who contribute to the increase in their interest in a given area, becomes the main beneficiary with the practice of tutoring. The tutoring of the Human Anatomy discipline consists of teaching, research and extension activities, thus representing an indispensable strategy for facilitating the construction and mastery of anatomical knowledge. Based on this premise, the objective of this work was to describe the role of human anatomy tutoring as a tool for improving the teaching and learning process and extending the medical course. During a year of tutoring, teaching activities were carried out using cadavers and anatomical pieces, extension activities for public and private schools, technical training activities, anatomical competitions and the teaching of anatomical dissection. It was observed that the tutoring of human anatomy in the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Ceará represents a complementary way of learning anatomy. This activity deepened the anatomical knowledge of the teaching‐assistants mainly due to the activity of dissection and assistance in practical undergraduate classes. Anatomy tutoring provided the motor development of cadaver handling skills that are important for surgical technique, developed ethical competence and respect for the relationship with death. In addition, the tutoring contributes to the continuous renovation of anatomical pieces and to the activity of visiting the anatomy laboratory by the community. It was found that the tutoring of anatomy is an important tool for the dissemination of anatomical knowledge and improvement of the teaching and learning process in the undergraduate and community in general.