Table 3 Final main topics

Topic 1

Motivation to study anatomy

Prime motivating factor to study anatomy is clinical exposure: preferably one-to-one (supervised) contact with a real patient, but simulated patients also work well for junior students. PBL is not enough incentive to study anatomy. Without putting anatomy education in context (bringing the patient to the dissection room), learning anatomy is still perceived as boring and depending a lot on rote learning and self-discipline.

Topic 2

Relevance of anatomical knowledge

Perceived relevance of anatomy and perceived importance are not synonymous for most students. For junior students relevance is strongly connected to the severity in which a subject assessed. Senior students describe realisation of the relevance of anatomical knowledge only being reached after extensive clinical exposure.

Topic 3

Assessment of anatomical knowledge

While students suggest stricter assessment to acquire more anatomical knowledge, senior students suggested that more repetition is necessary to promote knowledge retention. They furthermore acknowledged that repetition also motivates them and increase possibilities of scaffolding.

Topic 4

Students’ (in)security about anatomical knowledge

The junior students are very insecure because they feel that they have not mastered everything in the curriculum before their clerkships and expect to get into trouble during patient encounters because of that. Senior students are able to put these feelings in perspective, understanding that these feelings were only natural when students had not yet had any clinical experience. However, the question whether they should master everything in the curriculum led to an unresolved considerable debate.

Topic 5

Use of anatomical knowledge in clinical practice

As a clerk students did not encounter any real problems with not knowing all anatomical details. Senior students specifically noted anatomy being taught by region as a specific shortcoming of PBL. They felt that as a result, they did not form a clear coherent picture of the whole human body. This was especially felt when knowledge of blood vessels or nerves was concerned, or when interpreting medical imaging.