TY - JOUR

T1 - Scottish anatomy departments

AU - Pryde, F. R.

AU - Black, S. M.

PY - 2006/5/1

Y1 - 2006/5/1

N2 - ObjectivesTo document changes to the academic infrastructure of Scottish departments of anatomy over the past 20 years and compare the strategic approaches adopted by each institution to ensure continued provision of the subject to medical studentsDesignInterviews with principal anatomy staff members to obtain targeted information (staff numbers, staff recruitment, student numbers, staff:student ratio and contact hours in the medical curriculum) by investigating three temporal snapshots chosen at 10 year intervals (academic years 1983/4, 1993/4 and 2003/4)ParticipantsPrincipal teaching staff members from the anatomy departments at the five Scottish medical schools: University of Aberdeen, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow and the University of St Andrews. Additional information was forthcoming from the admissions office of each University.ResultsOver the past 20 years the Scottish anatomy schools have weathered a variety of external and internal influences and each school has adopted very individual strategies to the delivery and maintenance of their subject. Some schools have unquestionably been more affected than others but all have responded in a unique way to the demands of the disciplines they choose to subserve. In general, each school has seen a decline in the compliment of teachers (staff + demonstrators) whereas the student number has increased dramatically. Each department has micromanaged its proportions of lectures, dissecting room practical time and tutorials to best fit their student base, staff capabilities and the requirements of, and/or alterations to, the medical curriculum offered in their institution.

AB - ObjectivesTo document changes to the academic infrastructure of Scottish departments of anatomy over the past 20 years and compare the strategic approaches adopted by each institution to ensure continued provision of the subject to medical studentsDesignInterviews with principal anatomy staff members to obtain targeted information (staff numbers, staff recruitment, student numbers, staff:student ratio and contact hours in the medical curriculum) by investigating three temporal snapshots chosen at 10 year intervals (academic years 1983/4, 1993/4 and 2003/4)ParticipantsPrincipal teaching staff members from the anatomy departments at the five Scottish medical schools: University of Aberdeen, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow and the University of St Andrews. Additional information was forthcoming from the admissions office of each University.ResultsOver the past 20 years the Scottish anatomy schools have weathered a variety of external and internal influences and each school has adopted very individual strategies to the delivery and maintenance of their subject. Some schools have unquestionably been more affected than others but all have responded in a unique way to the demands of the disciplines they choose to subserve. In general, each school has seen a decline in the compliment of teachers (staff + demonstrators) whereas the student number has increased dramatically. Each department has micromanaged its proportions of lectures, dissecting room practical time and tutorials to best fit their student base, staff capabilities and the requirements of, and/or alterations to, the medical curriculum offered in their institution.

U2 - 10.1258/rsmsmj.51.2.16

DO - 10.1258/rsmsmj.51.2.16

M3 - Journal article

VL - 51

SP - 16

EP - 20

JO - Scottish Medical Journal

JF - Scottish Medical Journal

SN - 0036-9330

IS - 2

ER -