Y. Lignereux, TEACHING OF VETERINARY ANATOMY, HISTOLOGY AND EMBRYOLOGY - REPORT ANDPROPOSALS FROM WORLDWIDE SURVEY, Revue de Medecine Veterinaire, 144(3), 1993, pp. 201-227
The international Committee on the Teaching of Veterinary Anatomy has
made a survey about the present status, the needs and the perspectives
of the teaching of the morphological sciences in the veterinary curri
culum. A questionnaire (51 entries) has been sent to 125 morphologists
, almost all members of the World Association of Veterinary Anatomists
(W.A.V.A.), and belonging to 57 different countries. 33 answers have
been registered, from 28 countries (participation 26 %, from 49 % of t
he countries). Under a formal diversity in the responses, a strong ten
dency raises, according to which general anatomy should be taught toge
ther with applications, and students' memories should not be overloade
d with too many descriptive facts. Morphologists seem to intervene mor
e often during the clinical cycle of the curriculum, but this tendency
finds its limits, with its recession in North America. The material a
nd financial means have been cut down, as evidenced by the comparison
with the past situation. The following proposals are formulated : to s
tress principles rather than facts, to establish a syllabus of the ind
ispensable anatomical concepts (the core of knowledge) by the Committe
e, to use, wherever and whenever possible, a flexible pedagogy (projec
ts, free time for self learning, video, computer, live anatomy), to de
velop the participation of morphologists to coordinated/integrated opt
ional/specialized teachings.