Investigation of the Opinions of Orthosis and Prosthesis Department Undergraduate Students and Graduates on Anatomy Education
Keywords:
Anatomy education, Orthotics and prosthetics, Survey study, Undergraduate educationAbstract
Purpose: Anatomy is among the compulsory courses in basic medical sciences and holds a crucial place in health sciences education. Orthotists and prosthetists are required to possess comprehensive anatomical knowledge to practice professionally in their field. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of undergraduate orthotics and prosthetics students and graduates toward anatomy education and, consequently, to assess potential strategies for improving anatomy teaching.
Methods: Individuals who were either enrolled in or had graduated from undergraduate orthotics and prosthetics programs (n=280) were included in the study via an online questionnaire. The survey consisted of six sections comprising Likert-type and assessing participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes toward anatomy courses, materials used in practical and theoretical classes, interest in human body systems, and perceived difficulty of learning these systems.
Results: A total of 259 participants completed the questionnaire in full (92.5%). Among orthotics and prosthetics students and graduates, the musculoskeletal system was identified as the easiest system to learn (61.8%), whereas the nervous system was reported as the most difficult system (72.2%). The findings indicated that teaching methods significantly affect student performance and that greater use of visual materials is necessary. In addition, lecture notes provided by instructors were found to be the most frequently used learning resource by students in both theoretical and practical courses (86.8%).
Conclusion: Anatomy education is of critical importance in orthotics and prosthetics programs. It is suggested that anatomy instruction should be highly visualized and designed to engage the sense of touch as much as possible.
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