title: Why don't they know enough about anatomy? A narrative review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Publications in a variety of journals have described the problem of medical students' decreasing anatomical knowledge. Interestingly, the number of people making this assertion is growing, despite a lack of empirical evidence that today's medical graduates actually know less about anatomy than medical students in the past. Nevertheless, many people are claiming that students' anatomical knowledge is impaired due to negative effects from several factors, including teaching by non-medically qualified teachers, diminished use of cadaver dissection as a teaching tool and neglect of vertical integration of anatomy teaching.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To find empirical evidence for the factors claimed to have an influence on anatomical knowledge of students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is a lack of sufficient quantity and quality of information within the existing literature to support any of the claims, but the gathered literature did reveal some fascinating insights which are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anatomy education should be made as effective as possible, as nobody will deny that medical students cannot do without anatomical knowledge. Because of promising findings in the areas of teaching in context, vertical integration and assessment strategies, it is recommended that future research into anatomy education should focus on these factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy/Embryology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. e.bergman@ae.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: Cees P M
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: van der Vleuten
authors.forename: Albert J J A
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Scherpbier
mesh_terms: D000715:Anatomy / Q000193:education*; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection / Q000193:education; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013663:Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration; D013997:Time Factors