Assessment of the opinions and experiences of anatomy educators regarding the distance anatomy education in medical facilities under the effect of COVID-19 in Turkey

PURPOSE: Aim of this research is to assess the perceptions and views of the anatomy lecturers (educators) of the medical faculties in Turkey on undergraduate distance anatomy education during the COVID-19. METHODS: Anatomy educators nationwide were invited to the online questionnaire developed by the authors. Ninety-one anatomy educators participated in the questionnaire. Views of the participants were evaluated by Likert-type questions and open-ended questions. Distance anatomy education experiences of the participants between March and July 2020 were evaluated. RESULTS: Participants found face-to-face education more beneficial than distance education courses conducted with video recordings. They also reported that they agreed synchronous lessons were more beneficial than asynchronous lessons. They agreed that time management was a positive result. However, they were concerned about the adverse effects of the interruption of formal anatomy education regarding quality. The experience of distance anatomy education applied during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the demand for distance theoretical anatomy education supported by video recordings and face-to-face practical anatomy education methods (blended) for the post-pandemic period. CONCLUSION: There is much research focusing on the students regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on anatomy education. The experiences and the suggestions of the anatomy educators are also important. The findings of the current research have revealed the positive approach to distance theoretical anatomy education and face-to-face practical anatomy education methods (blended) for the post-pandemic period.