Dissecting the Crisis of Anatomy

Introduction: Anatomy was one of the first established biomedical sciences and enjoyed a tremendous growth since its inception as a science in the early sixteenth century until its peak in the early twentieth century. Then, anatomy begins to lose academic influence, both from the perspective of medical education, and the number and impact of research studies connected with it, hence the title “Dissecting the Crisis of Anatomy”. Development: The reflection in this article tries to show the different elements that make up the crisis, such as the reduction of the number of hours of anatomy lectures within the curriculum of medicine, the loss of academic influence of anatomy within the medical profession, the decrease in the number of articles on this subject reflected in their diminished influence and the low impact factor of publications devoted exclusively to anatomy, as well as the growing resistance to conventional techniques for teaching it, specifically the subject of dissecting corpses. It is intended to evidence which elements have emerged and how the established paradigms are changing, thus allowing to reshape the role of anatomy within the basic medical sciences and teaching new health professionals. Conclusions: Although the way anatomy is being studied, researched and taught is in a crisis, elements have emerged that have led to rediscover the humanist roots of this science, producing new approaches in the pedagogical and ethical aspects and issues of medical professionalism within anatomy itself.