Curriculum Audit of the Iranian Anatomy PhD Program according to ORPHEOUS Standards: A European Standard

Curriculum of Anatomy plays an important role in training experts in the Anatomical Science. Therefore, this study aimed to audit the Iranian curriculum for Anatomy PhD program according to European standards (ORPHEOUS). This descriptive-comparative study initially investigated the content and structure of Iranian curriculum of Anatomy PhD program, and then compared it to ORPHEOUS standards. This European standard elaborates the curriculum in eight facets and identifies the level of alignment between Iranian and European curriculum with respect to each facet. Findings: Our findings indicated that the Iranian curriculum for Anatomy PhD program was 100% in concord with the European standards in five facets including course programs, educational content, teaching methods, educational level, and role of graduates. However, two facets obtained 66% concordance to ORPHEOUS, namely educational structure and course-based teaching. Finally, the duration of Iranian program was only 50% similar to what ORHEOUS has recommended as the standard duration for PhD programs. Discussion & Conclusions: This study revealed that three facets of the Iranian curriculum for Anatomy PhD program were not fully consistent with the European standards. These three facets were lack of provisional committee to monitor progress in students’ theses, lack of compatibility between the offered duration of study and the real time it takes to graduate, and lastly, lack of the program’s ability to attend in the international arena. Therefore, it is recommended to establish a provisional committee for monitoring progress in students’ theses and to revise the curriculum accordingly.