Anatomy in the Clinical Years: A Document-based Comparative Mapping of National and International Curricula

Aim: This study aimed to systematically map and compare the existence, content, and pedagogical characteristics of clinical-year anatomy education in Türkiye and internationally, and to interpret the findings within the frameworks of vertical integration, cognitive integration, and experiential learning. Materials and Methods:A document-based descriptive and comparative design was used.Official curricula, course catalogs, and publicly accessible syllabi of 54 medical schools (30 national, 24 international) were analyzed according to the curricular analysis and reporting in document analysis framework.Data were extracted on course title, phase (pre-clinical vs. clinical), instructional materials, and thematic content.Frequencies and thematic patterns were reported through inductive coding.Results: Anatomy was universally present in pre-clinical years (100%), whereas clinical-year anatomy was identified in only 25% (6/24) of international schools and in none of the Turkish schools.Among 12 identified courses, 91.7% were in year 4, focusing mainly on regional/clinical (75%) and gross anatomy (66.7%).Cadaver dissection remained the dominant instructional material (58.3%), while radiological and microanatomy content was scarce. Conclusion:Anatomy education shows strong early-phase intensity but a late-phase gap.The absence of structured anatomy sessions in the clinical years of Turkish curricula and the limited global implementation of vertical integration indicate a critical pedagogical deficiency.Re-establishing longitudinal anatomy threads through cadaver-based, radiology-integrated, and small-group approaches is essential to strengthen clinical reasoning, procedural safety, and professional readiness.