International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
The aim of subject Anatomy is to provide the basic information about anatomical relations of human body,
inner organs and topography of anatomy structures. Students should name parts and structures of the human
body using of precise Anatomical nomenclature. Detailed systematic anatomy and topographical relationships of
organs and structures of the head and neck is substantial for dental students. The basic and general knowledge of
systematic and topographical anatomy of human body below head and neck helps to understand the human body
entirely.
Anatomy is one of the most important and basic courses on medical faculties. Subject anatomy for dental
students is termed as ”General and Oral Anatomy”. It is a compulsory two terms course in 1 st year of Dental
medicine with 7 credits in winter term and 8 in summer one. This course consists of lectures in amount three
teaching hours/week and practical lessons in dissecting room with prosecuted material in amount four teaching
hours/week. Total number of students is approximately 60 in Slovak course and 25 students in English course.
There was a question if students can handle better learning of systemic or regional anatomy. Systemic
anatomy of human body is a traditional approach. It is characterised by description of the organ systems of the
body, all organs and tissues for a particular system without recourse to precise location and the understanding of
relationship between organs or tissues. Regional anatomy is a modern way how to teach anatomy, which
concentrates on locations of organs and tissues, subdivides the regions and describes the relationships between
organs or tissues. The advantages of systemic approach are in seeing the entirety of organs; systemic anatomy
provides the descriptive skills for different types of anatomical structures and thus provides useful tools for
future clinical reasoning. The disadvantages of systemic anatomy is that does not fit well enough with the
requirements for those who are training to become surgeons or radiologists, patient’s signs and symptoms
present are not easily understood not best suited for teaching that involves dissection. On the other hand, the
biggest advantage of regional approach is in the training of surgeons and radiologists to aid in the understanding
of the presentations of signs and symptoms, appreciates structures, 3-dimensionally, structures as they are found
from surface to deep levels. The disadvantage of regional approach is in lack of fit with fully integrated medical
programmes.
In education of dental medicine students was the most time devoted to teaching anatomy of head and neck
included neuroanatomy; for anatomy bellow the neck was intended to spent less time; thorax, abdomen, upper
extremity: there was a need to teach only structures relevant to dental students and the only main structures were
taught from the pelvis and lower extremity. There was created the new anatomy book for dental students which
serve as a guide through the anatomy of the trunk and limbs.
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
Anatomy of head and neck for dental students was taught in as detailed way as it was for students of the
general medicine. Dental students of two groups were used in this experiment. Both began to study anatomy in
the first year of their study. The first group started learning structures of the skull and systemic anatomy of the
head and neck in a detailed way: joints, muscles, vessels and nerves. Following, the anatomy of the central
nervous system, trunk and limbs was taught systemically, but in a reduced manner comparing by general
medicine students. This way of learning was completed for one group of students, while the second group of
students began with regional anatomy of head and neck areas, and then continued by the anatomy of the central
nervous system and the regional anatomy of the limbs and trunk. The curriculum of both groups was the same,
only the way of teaching was different. The first group was taught using only systemic anatomy, while the
second using regional approach. The results on practical and theoretical tests between both groups of dental
students were compared.
There were two written and two practical compulsory assessment control tests that correspond to the
anatomical regions to be evaluated. Each test covers region in a detailed and coherent manner, before tests the
students had lectures and practical reinforcing of each anatomical region. Theoretical test was written during
lecture time, it consists of 100 statements; students have to sign each of them if it is true or false. Practical tests
done on lesson in dissecting room consists of 30 structures in prosected body which students have to recognize.
Additional assessments, e.g. small tests on each lesson, were optional in competency of teachers.
A new textbook of anatomy was specifically designed for dental students to help them to study anatomy of
trunk and limbs (Kluchova et al., 2014). In this book is limited text in extend which can be demonstrated in the
dissecting room according to a new curriculum for dental students. Anatomy of limbs and pelvis was reduced the
most, as well as the walls of the trunk. Anatomy of organs and systems of the trunk was taught in a different
way. The time originally allocated to anatomy teaching for dental students was cut in one third of previous
teaching material. After the introduction, the descriptive terms were offered to learn. Following, main systems
were described in general: bones and skeletal system, joints, muscular system, cardiovascular and lymphatic
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