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LETTERS: Sanjay Purkayastha, Paraskeva Paraskevas, and Ara Darzi Make surgeons more active in teaching anatomy at all levels BMJ 2007; 334: 110-a [Full text]

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Anatomy Teaching - not just the students who miss out

Daniel C Cohen   (6 February 2007)

Antaomical dissections are a waste of time.

Richard G Fiddian-Green   (7 February 2007)

Anatomy Teaching - not just the students who miss out 6 February 2007
Daniel C Cohen, SHO in Cardiothoracics St Thomas Hospital, London SE1 7EH Send response to journal: Re: Anatomy Teaching - not just the students who miss out	Whilst the current crisis in undergraduate anatomy teaching has been highlighted in the media (1,2), the diminishing opportunities for anatomy demonstrators have not. The new run-through training pushed forward by Modernising Medical Careers will leave many anatomy departments struggling to fill their demonstrator posts for August 2007, as surgical trainees find it difficult to find an appropriate time slot in which to demonstrate. I have just completed a six month demonstrator post at King's College London (Guys Campus). I cannot emphasise how valuable such an experience is for surgical trainees. I have gained skills in teaching and dissection, furthered my knowledge of anatomy, and have undertaken and presented anatomical research. All of these skills will stay with me throughout my career, and will undoubtedly benefit my practice and the service I can offer to patients. Without MMC and local deaneries formulating plans to accommodate surgical trainees in demonstrating posts, a valuable training opportunity will be lost. 1. Dobson R. Anatomy teaching in United Kingdom is in crisis, new report says. BMJ 2007; doi: 10.1136/bmj.39080.510394.DB 2. Purkayastha S, Paraskevas P, and Darzi A. Make surgeons more active in teaching anatomy at all levels. BMJ 2007; 334: 110 ; doi:10.1136/bmj.39094.394606.1F Competing interests: None declared
Antaomical dissections are a waste of time. 7 February 2007
Richard G Fiddian-Green, FRCS, FACS None Send response to journal: Re: Antaomical dissections are a waste of time.	Daniel Cohen, SHO in Cardiothoracics at St Thomas Hospital,wrote, "I have just completed a six month demonstrator post at King's College London (Guys Campus). I cannot emphasise how valuable such an experience is for surgical trainees. I have gained skills in teaching and dissection, furthered my knowledge of anatomy, and have undertaken and presented anatomical research". The dissection of a cadaver is so different from that of a patient that it is difficult to believe that it is any value in acquiring surgical skills. It was of absolutely no value to me. Far more valuable to me were the illustrations in Grant's Atlas and the specimens that had already been dissected by an expert with the intention of demonstrating a particular anatomic feature, such as the relationship between the left recurrent laryngeal nerve and the aortic arch. Especially valuable were Jack Last's lectures and his book and his emphasis upon embryology in the evolution of bloodless anatomic planes. When I consider the amount of time I wasted dissecting a cadaver, aided in my scratching through the fat for specific anatomical structures by the surgical consultants who were our demonstrators, I have to conclude that anatomy could be taught far more efficiently and in a far less time. Given the advent of "new technology (such as web based learning, 3-D anatomical packages and virtual prosections" I would imagine that even the need for a Grant's Atlas and expert dissections could be made redundant. Just imagine, for example, how this technology could facilitate the learning of the surgical anatomy required for a complete Kocherisation of the duodenum or mobilization of spleen and tail of the pancreas let alone that of the pulmonary artery and veins in preparation for a pulmonary lobectomy. Competing interests: None declared