A glimpse into chilean veterinary anatomy educators

In veterinary medicine, impressive technological advances in biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology have led to a reduction in the amount of time spent teaching anatomy and a shift toward anatomical research. As classically trained veterinary anatomists began to retire at the beginning of the 2000s, it became evident that there would be a shortage of qualified anatomists. This coincides with the increase in the hiring of recent graduates with general education experience and no specialization in the area. The aim of the study is to characterize the Chilean veterinary anatomy educator with an emphasis on their training and the academic environment they work in. Data were collected through a survey targeting a diverse population of university educators who teach content related to veterinary anatomy in Chile. The results showed that the Chilean veterinary anatomist has reached the master’s level, with a wide range of continuous training experiences, from which it is perceived that he has acquired his anatomical and teaching skills. Furthermore, despite his self-perception as an educator/researcher, the evidence showed that research in veterinary anatomy is still in its infancy. However, strengths were identified related to the varied use of teaching resources, participation in the community and the dissemination of anatomical knowledge.