Retention of Gross Anatomy Knowledge by Physical Therapy Students

The purpose of this study was to estimate how well physical therapy students in an entry-level master's degree program retain their knowledge of gross anatomy as they progress through the program. The recall of anatomic details was assessed in 87 students with a 28-question multiple-choice, multipleanswer; basic anatomy examination emphasizing the extremities. Students took the same examination three times during their formal education, with no feedback on results between the tests. Analyses showed that scores were highest upon completion of the gross anatomy course (X̄25.11, 89.6%), dropped considerably 13 months later at trial two (X̄=16.54 59.1%), and rose slightly at trial three (X̄=19.92, 71.1%), which was 10 months after trial two. Trial one scores were significantly higher than those in either trial two or trial three (P<.0001). These results indicate that many details that were learned in gross anatomy and that students were able to recall at the end of that course are not retained throughout the physical therapy curriculum. Further study is needed to determine how gross anatomy should be taught to physical therapy students so that retention is maximized throughout the curriculum and during their professional careers.