Educational Needs and Practical Skills of Master Anatomy Students Considering the Needs of the Community

It is over a decade since the last revision in the curriculum of master of anatomy. The recent scientific and technologic progresses as well as the present weaknesses in the curriculum of anatomy push us to a new revision in this curriculum. This study was designed to determine the educational needs and practical skills of Master's degree (MS) graduates of anatomy regarding their professional needs. In this descriptive study, the viewpoints of expert faculty members in the country, about educational needs of MS of anatomy was asked by a questionnaire. In total, 53 questionnaires were returned. Moreover, the managers of the institutions who could employ MS anatomy graduates were interviewed. Finally the data was analyzed, and while the graduate's professional tasks were ranked, their educational needs were determined also. Comparing the present curriculum with graduate's educational needs and also with educational programs in other countries revealed some headings to be added to the current curriculum including: "research methodology and biostatistics", "advanced microanatomical methods" (as an independent subject), "teaching methodology", "laboratory rotations", "cell biology", "how to fix and dissect a cadaver", "English for special purposes", "computer", "model making", "comparative anatomy", "clinical anatomy", and "practical pathology". In order to improve the curriculum leading to MS in anatomy, in addition to adding some new subjects and headings, more emphases on practical skills and increasing the credits of thesis is needed.