Relevance of learning anatomy for clinical practice: perception of undergraduate medical students of BPKIHS

Anatomy remains a foundational discipline in undergraduate medical education. However, persistent debate surrounds the appropriate balance between detailed factual content and clinically oriented application. Incorporating students’ perspectives can guide curricular refinement and strengthen clinical integration. The aim of this work was to assess undergraduate medical students’ perceptions regarding the relevance of anatomy learning for clinical practice at BPKIHS. An analytical cross-sectional, non-interventional study was conducted among first-year students, third-year students, and interns at BPKIHS. A self-structured, semi-structured questionnaire containing 15 Likert-scale items was distributed online. The tool addressed perceived clinical relevance of anatomy, radiological anatomy, cadaver-based learning, medico-legal autopsy concepts, and curriculum-related factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 11.5; p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of 300 students approached, 285 responded (95% response rate). Respondents were predominantly male (74.4%) and Nepalese (79.6%). A large majority agreed that anatomical knowledge is required for effective clinical practice (strongly agree 79.3%, agree 16.1%). Most participants also reported that anatomy learning supports understanding of human body structures (strongly agree 49.5%, agree 43.2%) and radiological diagnostic imaging (strongly agree 55.8%, agree 38.9%). Cadaver dissection in small groups was perceived to enhance teamwork (strongly agree 45.3%, agree 45.3%) and anatomy education was considered beneficial for analytical and critical thinking (strongly agree 41.8%, agree 44.6%). Our findings support maintaining a clinically integrated, cadaver-supported, and partially problem-based anatomy curriculum that emphasizes applied and detailed anatomical knowledge to ensure long-term clinical competence.