The anatomy demonstrator of the future: An examination of the role of the medically‐qualified anatomy demonstrator in the context of tomorrow's doctors and modernizing medical careers

Abstract

In 1993, the UK General Medical Council published Tomorrow's Doctors leading to a nationwide restructuring of undergraduate medical courses. Traditional courses with distinct pre-clinical and clinical phases gave way to a more integrated approach to undergraduate medical education, with an emphasis on the quality and variety of teaching provided. More than a decade after Tomorrow's Doctors, postgraduate medical training is being transformed. Modernising Medical Careers is leading to the introduction of a two-year Foundation Programme, with subsequent streamlined specialist training. In the context of these changes, we consider how the creation of posts for medically-qualified anatomy demonstrators would present an opportunity to fulfil needs in both undergraduate education and postgraduate training. We outline the threats facing established posts, and how these problems may be resolved. We hope that this overview of the challenges facing undergraduate and postgraduate education in the UK, with particular reference to anatomy, may offer some useful insight to teachers and learners in other countries. We conclude that the role of the medically-qualified anatomy demonstrator has proved valuable in the context of Tomorrow's Doctors, and that this role can evolve and expand as part of the 21st century "modern medical career."

A three‐year prospective longitudinal cohort study of medical students' attitudes toward anatomy teaching and their career aspirations

“…Anatomy is typically taught by a combination of dedicated anatomists, anatomy demonstrators, clinical scientists, and retired doctors (Miller and Neal, 1994;Lockwood and Roberts, 2007;Gupta et al, 2008). Alongside these, teaching provided by practicing surgeons and radiologists should be integrated as a regular practice (Seyfer et al, 2007).…”

“…Alongside these, teaching provided by practicing surgeons and radiologists should be integrated as a regular practice (Seyfer et al, 2007). For surgical trainees, this could be made available as part of rotations (Miller and Neal, 1994;Lockwood and Roberts, 2007). At consultant level, suitable remuneration by universities would need to be made available to guarantee regular, high-quality teaching (Seyfer et al, 2007).…”

Are we teaching sufficient anatomy at medical school? The opinions of newly qualified doctors

“…Thus, postgraduate anatomical training will continue to be diminished. Yet medically qualified anatomy demonstrators are ideal teachers of clinically relevant anatomy, bringing many benefits to a department as well as gaining a range of knowledge and skills in undertaking this role (Lockwood and Roberts, 2007).…”

Is the decline of human anatomy hazardous to medical education/profession?—A review

“…This had put the faculty and students both under undue stress and made it incomprehensible to medical students. Changes in surgical training have conspired to reduce the pool of anatomical faculty significantly in UK [18]. Due to deployment of insufficient faculty of anatomy in medical schools degraded the delivery of optimum level of knowledge of anatomy.…”