Retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan: a comparative study

Abstract Background Retaining anatomical knowledge is crucial for safe and effective medical practice, yet many medical graduates struggle to apply this knowledge in clinical settings over time. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the retention of gross anatomy and clinical anatomy knowledge am...

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Main Authors: Mie Saeed, Lina Ahmed, Eltayeb AbdAlla, Zinab Alatawi, Amirah M. Alhowiti, Tasneem S. A. Elmahdi, Safaa Mohammed, Amal Elhag
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:BMC Medical Education
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06832-5
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author Mie Saeed
Lina Ahmed
Eltayeb AbdAlla
Zinab Alatawi
Amirah M. Alhowiti
Tasneem S. A. Elmahdi
Safaa Mohammed
Amal Elhag
author_facet Mie Saeed
Lina Ahmed
Eltayeb AbdAlla
Zinab Alatawi
Amirah M. Alhowiti
Tasneem S. A. Elmahdi
Safaa Mohammed
Amal Elhag
author_sort Mie Saeed
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Retaining anatomical knowledge is crucial for safe and effective medical practice, yet many medical graduates struggle to apply this knowledge in clinical settings over time. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the retention of gross anatomy and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 385 medical graduates from various Sudanese universities, estimated using the Cochrane formula. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing their knowledge of gross and clinical anatomy, as well as demographic and educational factors. The data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and ANOVA. Results Clinical anatomy knowledge was significantly better retained (mean score: 68.39%) than gross anatomy knowledge was (mean score: 45.35%). The retention of gross anatomy is influenced by academic background, with integrated and hybrid learning approaches showing better outcomes than traditional methods do. In contrast, clinical anatomy retention was more consistent across demographic factors but varied by speciality, with emergency medicine, general practice, surgery and radiology showing the highest retention levels. Conclusion Clinical anatomy is retained more effectively due to its frequent application in practice, whereas gross anatomy requires greater integration with clinical relevance to enhance retention. The study recommends medical curricula that merge gross and clinical anatomy through active learning strategies and continuous education to improve long-term retention and clinical competency.
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spelling doaj-art-bd195186ddbf48bcb6d72b393239e95d2025-08-20T02:12:58ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-02-012511910.1186/s12909-025-06832-5Retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan: a comparative studyMie Saeed0Lina Ahmed1Eltayeb AbdAlla2Zinab Alatawi3Amirah M. Alhowiti4Tasneem S. A. Elmahdi5Safaa Mohammed6Amal Elhag7Faculty of Medicine, University of KhartoumFaculty of Medicine, University of KhartoumFaculty of Medicine, University of KhartoumDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of TabukDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of TabukDepartment of Diagnostic Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah UniversityNursing Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Nursing, Alrayan CollegesFaculty of Medicine and Surgery, Umm Al-Qura UniversityAbstract Background Retaining anatomical knowledge is crucial for safe and effective medical practice, yet many medical graduates struggle to apply this knowledge in clinical settings over time. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the retention of gross anatomy and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 385 medical graduates from various Sudanese universities, estimated using the Cochrane formula. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing their knowledge of gross and clinical anatomy, as well as demographic and educational factors. The data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and ANOVA. Results Clinical anatomy knowledge was significantly better retained (mean score: 68.39%) than gross anatomy knowledge was (mean score: 45.35%). The retention of gross anatomy is influenced by academic background, with integrated and hybrid learning approaches showing better outcomes than traditional methods do. In contrast, clinical anatomy retention was more consistent across demographic factors but varied by speciality, with emergency medicine, general practice, surgery and radiology showing the highest retention levels. Conclusion Clinical anatomy is retained more effectively due to its frequent application in practice, whereas gross anatomy requires greater integration with clinical relevance to enhance retention. The study recommends medical curricula that merge gross and clinical anatomy through active learning strategies and continuous education to improve long-term retention and clinical competency.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06832-5Anatomy retentionGross anatomyClinical anatomyMedical educationKnowledge retentionProblem-based learning
spellingShingle Mie Saeed
Lina Ahmed
Eltayeb AbdAlla
Zinab Alatawi
Amirah M. Alhowiti
Tasneem S. A. Elmahdi
Safaa Mohammed
Amal Elhag
Retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan: a comparative study
BMC Medical Education
Anatomy retention
Gross anatomy
Clinical anatomy
Medical education
Knowledge retention
Problem-based learning
title Retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan: a comparative study
title_full Retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan: a comparative study
title_fullStr Retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan: a comparative study
title_full_unstemmed Retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan: a comparative study
title_short Retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in Sudan: a comparative study
title_sort retention of gross and clinical anatomy knowledge among medical graduates in sudan a comparative study
topic Anatomy retention
Gross anatomy
Clinical anatomy
Medical education
Knowledge retention
Problem-based learning
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06832-5
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