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Current Trends in Anatomy Course Characteristics across US Physician Assistant Programs

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Title: Current Trends in Anatomy Course Characteristics across US Physician Assistant Programs
Language: English
Authors: Colleen M. Cheverko (ORCID 0000-0002-9065-1768), Chloie Flores, Sabah Hamidi (ORCID 0000-0003-3978-7501), John Simpson, Hannah Yurich, Adam B. Wilson (ORCID 0000-0002-1221-5602)
Source: Anatomical Sciences Education. 2025 18(5):485-495.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Allied Health Personnel, Allied Health Occupations Education, Anatomy, Laboratories, Educational Methods, Course Content, Credits, Program Content, Medical Schools
DOI: 10.1002/ase.70029
ISSN: 1935-9772
1935-9780
Abstract: Anatomy is a required curricular component within physician assistant (PA) programs, but the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) does not regulate specific course characteristics such as how or when anatomy is taught or the inclusion or type of specific laboratory approaches. The growing number of newly accredited PA programs could impact trends in these and other course characteristics. This project presents descriptive and correlational outcomes of US PA programs and their anatomy course characteristics. Program names and year of initial accreditation were obtained from the ARC-PA website for currently accredited programs. Two independent evaluators reviewed and extracted data from each program website related to term(s) anatomy was taught, whether anatomy was taught independently or combined with other subjects, the instructional format of lab components, and anatomy credit hours. Additional contextual measures included the term system used, overall program and didactic curriculum lengths, and program credit hours. Summary and inferential statistics were used to test relationships between these data. Most anatomy courses are taught independently and in a single term, and the number of newly accredited PA programs since 2019 did not shift emphases on laboratory instruction. Programs averaged 5.5 credit hours for anatomy, but averages differed between semester versus quarter-system courses, independent anatomy courses versus courses that combined anatomy with other subjects, and courses that used dissection versus prosection laboratory instruction. Broad variation in program and course characteristics aligns with previous findings that local curricular decisions are made according to program and institution resources and constraints.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1469922
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0184952076;[8z8k]01may.25;2025May07.05:30;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0184952076-1">Current trends in anatomy course characteristics across US physician assistant programs </title> <p>Anatomy is a required curricular component within physician assistant (PA) programs, but the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC‐PA) does not regulate specific course characteristics such as how or when anatomy is taught or the inclusion or type of specific laboratory approaches. The growing number of newly accredited PA programs could impact trends in these and other course characteristics. This project presents descriptive and correlational outcomes of US PA programs and their anatomy course characteristics. Program names and year of initial accreditation were obtained from the ARC‐PA website for currently accredited programs. Two independent evaluators reviewed and extracted data from each program website related to term(s) anatomy was taught, whether anatomy was taught independently or combined with other subjects, the instructional format of lab components, and anatomy credit hours. Additional contextual measures included the term system used, overall program and didactic curriculum lengths, and program credit hours. Summary and inferential statistics were used to test relationships between these data. Most anatomy courses are taught independently and in a single term, and the number of newly accredited PA programs since 2019 did not shift emphases on laboratory instruction. Programs averaged 5.5 credit hours for anatomy, but averages differed between semester versus quarter‐system courses, independent anatomy courses versus courses that combined anatomy with other subjects, and courses that used dissection versus prosection laboratory instruction. Broad variation in program and course characteristics aligns with previous findings that local curricular decisions are made according to program and institution resources and constraints.</p> <p>Keywords: anatomy credit hours; anatomy course characteristics; physician assistant education</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-2">INTRODUCTION</hd> <p>According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 150,000 physician assistants worked in the United States in 2023. Compared to the national average growth rate of all occupations (4%) and the broader category of healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners (9%), the physician assistant (PA) field is projected to grow by 28% from 2023 to 2033, with approximately 12,900 projected openings per year over the next decade.[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>] To help meet the market's growing demand for PAs, the number and diversity of PA training programs within the United States (US) have risen. According to guidelines established by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC‐PA),[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref2">2</reflink>] "Anatomy" and four other primary subjects (i.e., physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics, and genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease) are required core disciplines for PA training programs.[[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref3">2</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref4">4</reflink>]] While the flexible ARC‐PA guidelines allow for heterogeneous anatomy footprints between programs, it is unclear whether certain program features are associated with anatomy course characteristics or the proportion of anatomy represented in program curricula. As such, this study explores the range of variation between PA program characteristics and their anatomy courses to help anatomists establish a baseline for comparing their local curricula to national trends.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-3">PA anatomy curricula</hd> <p>Several studies have analyzed information about PA anatomy curricula by administering ad‐hoc surveys to PA program directors[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref5">5</reflink>] or extracting data from PA program websites[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref6">6</reflink>] or the periodic PA Education Association (PAEA) survey.[[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref7">4</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref8">7</reflink>]] These studies have primarily focused on average contact hours,[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref9">4</reflink>] content delivery methods,[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref10">7</reflink>] and whether performance in didactic courses can predict licensing exam performance.[<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref11">8</reflink>]</p> <p>Longitudinal results from the PAEA survey captured a decrease in the number of hours dedicated to PA anatomy instruction in the past 20 years. In the 2004 PAEA survey, programs dedicated an average of 121.3 h (SD = ±61.5 h) to anatomy, ranging from 20 to 381 h.[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref12">9</reflink>] However, by 2010, average anatomy contact hours decreased by 16% to 102.4 h (SD = ±56.1, range = 4–270).[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref13">7</reflink>] Mean anatomy contact hours remained stable through 2019, per the 2019 PAEA survey outcomes (i.e., mean anatomy lecture hours = 52.9, SD = ±25.7, range = 2–193; mean anatomy laboratory hours = 52.3, SD = ±33.0, range = 1–180).[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref14">4</reflink>] The average anatomy contact hours in the 2019 PAEA survey represented the third largest contact hour footprint in PA curricula, behind pharmacology and pathophysiology.[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref15">4</reflink>] These studies demonstrate that subdivisions may exist within national averages. For example, Hegmann found that PA programs at private institutions had an average of nearly 30 fewer anatomy contact hours than those at public institutions.[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref16">7</reflink>]</p> <p>Studies have also investigated the distribution of various modes of instruction and the importance of lab‐based anatomy curricula in PA programs. For example, Hegmann[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref17">7</reflink>] used the 2010 PAEA survey to determine the proportion of courses that utilized lectures, simulations, dissections, and/or prosections. On average, lectures accounted for 57.4% of PA anatomy contact hours, followed by 25.9% for dissection, 12.1% for prosection, and 4.6% for simulation.[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref18">7</reflink>] However, wide contact hour variations were observed for each curricular component, and these averages were potentially skewed by programs that did not use one or more of the instructional methods. More recently, Quincy and Snyder[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref19">6</reflink>] extracted data from program websites regarding the use of donors in PA education programs. They found that 63.6% (<emph>n</emph> = 124/195) of programs stated using donors in their anatomy laboratory curricula but did not further subdivide their findings by prosection‐ or dissection‐based approaches.[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref20">6</reflink>] Given the many advantages and disadvantages posed by dissection‐based laboratory sessions in time‐restricted PA anatomy courses,[[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref21">7</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref22">10</reflink>]] it is unsurprising that the proportion of laboratory content and use of donors would vary widely between programs,[[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref23">4</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref24">7</reflink>]] though these data are often separated from discussions of overall course contact hours.</p> <p>Programs that critically review PA anatomy course characteristics may benefit from comparing their local curricula against established national benchmarks. While these past studies represent important comparisons between programs, many are based on the outcomes of the periodic PAEA survey, completed voluntarily by PA program directors. For example, only 57.7% (82/142) of surveyed programs responded to the anatomy‐related items in the 2010 questionnaire.[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref25">7</reflink>] Additionally, the PAEA's summary credit hours data represent broad program‐level data and are not typically subdivided by individual subjects or course characteristics. Given the explosive increase in the number of accredited PA programs since the early 2000s, with at least 60 new programs since the 2019 PAEA survey, ongoing and more comprehensive benchmarking is needed to establish up‐to‐date information for comparison across programs.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-4">Study purpose</hd> <p>The current study is based on publicly available information from accredited PA program websites. In addition to providing an update on several anatomy course characteristics previously assessed through other means, this work explores PA anatomy education characteristics not previously quantified. For example, while prior studies examined the proportion of anatomy courses taught through lecture versus laboratory approaches and the proportion of programs that used donors in laboratory instruction,[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref26">6</reflink>] the current study addresses the proportion of programs that utilize dissection‐ versus prosection‐based approaches in laboratory instruction. Furthermore, this work separates credit hour comparisons by additional course characteristics, such as whether anatomy was taught independently or combined with other subjects. Prior results suggest that patterns may exist in how anatomy courses are characterized, which may correlate with contact and credit hour allocations.</p> <p>Overall, this work addressed three primary research questions: To what extent are there differences in program and anatomy characteristics between programs (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref27">1</reflink>) taught on semester versus quarter systems, (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref28">2</reflink>) offering independent anatomy courses versus combined courses where anatomy is taught alongside other subjects (e.g., physiology), and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref29">3</reflink>) implementing prosection‐ versus dissection‐based laboratory approaches. This study also explores anatomy program characteristics, including the year of initial accreditation, to situate anatomy characteristics within broader program trends.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-5">MATERIALS AND METHODS</hd> <p>This document/website analysis was not eligible for ethical review because it did not meet the definition of human subjects research.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-6">Study protocol</hd> <p>The list of 309 US‐accredited PA programs and links to their websites was obtained from the ARC‐PA website in April 2024. Each program's year of initial accreditation and accreditation status (i.e., continued, probation, or provisional) was recorded directly from the ARC‐PA website. Lists of accredited MD and DO programs were obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref30">11</reflink>] and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM),[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref31">12</reflink>] respectively, and compared with the ARC‐PA list to document which PA programs were affiliated with medical school institutions.</p> <p>Two teams of two evaluators independently reviewed and extracted data from each PA program website in July and August of 2024 according to the criteria outlined below. Each team was responsible for half of the programs (<emph>n</emph> = 155). As needed, the evaluators reviewed programs' published handbooks and course catalogs for pertinent information or details. After all data were independently extracted, discrepancies were handled through consensus building among the two evaluators who extracted the original data. If consensus could not be reached, a third evaluator was consulted to arrive at a final decision.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-7">Variables of interest</hd> <p>The variables of interest are outlined in Table 1. For each PA program, the number of months of the PA program, the number of months of the didactic portion of the program, the term system used, and the total number of PA program credit hours were extracted. While many programs reported both the number of months of the PA program and the length of the didactic portion, some data were estimated using month ranges for terms or the sum of term lengths.</p> <p>1 TABLE Descriptions of variables extracted from PA program websites.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><th align="left">Variable</th><th align="left">Description and/or options</th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td align="left">PA program</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Program length</td><td align="left">Number of months it takes to complete the entire PA program</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Didactic length</td><td align="left">Number of months it takes to complete the didactic portion of the PA program</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Term system used</td><td align="left">Semesters/trimesters</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Quarters</td></tr><tr><td align="left">PA program credit hours</td><td align="left">Total number of PA program credit hours, including didactic and clinical courses</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Year of Initial Accreditation</td><td align="left">The program's year of initial accreditation, obtained from the ARC‐PA website</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Current accreditation status</td><td align="left">The program's current accreditation status, obtained from the ARC‐PA website: Continued, probation, or provisional</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Anatomy curriculum</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Anatomy course structure</td><td align="left">Anatomy is an independent course</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Anatomy is combined with other course(s) (e.g., physiology)</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Curriculum is fully integrated across didactic courses</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Anatomy lab format</td><td align="left">Lab is separate with its own credit hours</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Lab is integrated into the course</td></tr><tr><td align="left">No lab component (didactics only)</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Term anatomy taught</td><td align="left">First</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Second</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Third</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Fourth</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Longitudinally across multiple terms</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Lab approach</td><td align="left">Dissection‐based lab</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Prosection‐based lab</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Both dissection and prosection‐based labs</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Cadaver/donor is mentioned, but approach is unclear</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Anatomy credit hours</td><td align="left">Number of total anatomy credit hours</td></tr><tr><td align="left">Credits for terms with anatomy courses</td><td align="left">Number of credits/term that anatomy is taught. If anatomy was taught across multiple terms, the total number of credits for those terms were added</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>The anatomy‐specific variables included the following: the term(s) in which anatomy was taught (e.g., first, second, or longitudinally across multiple didactic terms), whether anatomy was an independent course or integrated with other courses, whether anatomy laboratory sessions were incorporated into the anatomy course or listed in the course catalog as a separate course with course credits, the total number of credit hours for anatomy, and the total number of credit hours for terms where anatomy was taught (Table 1). We used a mixture of course titles (e.g., 'Anatomy' vs. 'Anatomy and Physiology') and course descriptions (e.g., whether only anatomy or other disciplines were represented in course descriptions) to determine whether anatomy was taught independently as a standalone discipline or combined with other subjects. To calculate total anatomy credit hours, separate lab credit hours were pooled with their associated didactic anatomy credits. When anatomy was taught across terms (e.g., Anatomy I and Anatomy II in separate terms), the total number of hours for anatomy was combined, and the total number of credit hours for the multiple terms was combined. The pedagogical approach used for anatomy laboratory sessions (i.e., dissection, prosection, both, or unclear) was interpreted according to website statements or course descriptions. Unretrievable data were excluded from subsequent analyses. Furthermore, programs with fully integrated didactic curricula (i.e., without standalone anatomy‐related courses) were noted and excluded from pertinent analyses. Since integrated courses had no subdivisions in credit hours by discipline or subject matter, the number of hours specifically allocated to anatomy could not be determined.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-8">Statistical analyses</hd> <p>To understand the proportional footprint of anatomy credit hours by term (henceforth anatomy‐to‐term), the proportion of anatomy credit hours compared to the total credit hours for the term(s) was calculated. Likewise, we used the total credit hours for the PA program to calculate the proportion of anatomy credit hours compared to the total PA program credit hours (henceforth anatomy‐to‐program) to understand the proportional footprint of anatomy credit hours within the entire program. Both values were calculated as percentages.</p> <p>All analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26.[<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref32">13</reflink>] Figures were generated using the 'ggplot2' R package.[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref33">14</reflink>] Programs with missing data were excluded from the analyses requiring those data, resulting in different sample sizes for each analysis (reported as <emph>n</emph> for each variable). Descriptive statistics and box plots were used to identify extreme outliers for numerical variables. When extreme outliers were present, analyses were rerun, excluding those outliers.</p> <p>Descriptive statistics, including means (<emph>μ</emph>), medians (med.), standard deviations (SD), minimums (min.), and maximums (max.), were calculated for numerical variables. Summary counts and percentages were computed for categorical variables. Independent samples t‐tests were used to test differences in continuous numerical variables between two categories. One‐way ANOVAs were used to test differences in continuous numerical variables between three or more categories. A Pearson's correlation was conducted to determine whether associations existed between two numerical variables. Chi‐square tests were used to test for associations between categorical variables. Significance was defined at 0.05.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-9">RESULTS</hd> <p>Five of the 309 programs (1.6%) were excluded for being combined bachelor's‐master's programs. The necessary graduate‐level data for these five programs could not be separated from the confounding undergraduate data. The final sample size for analysis was 304 programs.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-10">Overview of PA program characteristics</hd> <p>On average, PA programs were 26.7 months in duration, with the shortest and longest programs being 24 and 36 months, respectively. The didactic phase of the curriculum lasted an average of 13.8 months, with a range of 8 to 24 months. The total number of credit hours for each PA program varied widely (<emph>μ</emph> = 113.3, min. = 68, max. = 182). Significant correlations were found between PA program length and didactic length (<emph>r</emph> = 0.67; <emph>p</emph> < 0.001) and total PA program credit hours (<emph>r</emph> = 0.17; <emph>p</emph> < 0.001; Figure 1).</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/8Z8K/01may25/ase70029-fig-0001.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="ase70029-fig-0001.jpg" title="1 Correlation matrix between metric variables in this study. On top, positive correlations are indicated by shades of blue, while negative correlations are noted in red. Stronger correlations are noted with larger and darker circles, such as between program and didactic lengths (r = 0.67). The numbers across the bottom indicate the correlation coefficient (r) between pairwise variables. PCH indicates total program credit hours, ACH indicates anatomy credit hours, ACH:ATH indicates anatomy‐to‐term credit hours, and ACH:APH indicates anatomy‐to‐program credit hours." /> </p> <p></p> <p>The number of newly accredited programs has gradually increased since the early 2000s. The number of new PA programs added in a single year reached an all‐time high in 1996 (<emph>n</emph> = 21) and, in more recent years, has been rivaled by the addition of 19 programs in both 2016 and 2022 (Figure 2). Of note, 21.1% of currently accredited programs (<emph>n</emph> = 64) opened between 2020 and 2024. While there was a weak positive correlation between the year of initial accreditation and total program credit hours (<emph>r</emph> = 0.07, <emph>p</emph> = 0.030), there were no other notable associations between the year of initial accreditation and anatomy credit hours or course characteristics.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/8Z8K/01may25/ase70029-fig-0002.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="ase70029-fig-0002.jpg" title="2 Number of newly accredited programs by their year of initial accreditation." /> </p> <p></p> <p>Most programs were accredited under 'continuing' status (67%, <emph>n</emph> = 202), with 20% of programs being granted 'provisional' status (<emph>n</emph> = 62). Considering that 'provisional' accreditation status is granted to programs prior to graduating their first cohort of students,[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref34">2</reflink>] the small number of programs categorized as provisional was expected. Approximately 13% of programs (<emph>n</emph> = 40) were on 'probationary' status. Similar to the year of initial accreditation, there were no notable associations between accreditation status and anatomy credit hours or course characteristics.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-13">Overview of anatomy course characteristics</hd> <p>The term system (i.e., semester/trimester versus quarter systems) was discernible for 299 programs, and the sequential term(s) in which anatomy was taught were discernible for 297 programs. Five programs were taught on block or other schedules that did not align with semester/trimester or quarter systems, and seven programs listed course data without specifying the sequential term in which those courses were taught. Most PA programs followed semester/trimester systems (90.6%, 271/299), but 9.4% (28/299) followed quarter systems. Anatomy was taught in the first term (66.0%, 196/297), second term (2.7%, 8/297), or longitudinally across multiple terms (31.3%, 93/297). These data were further cleaned to understand the proportion of anatomy courses taught in a single term (i.e., first or second) or across multiple terms. Of the programs on semester/trimester systems, 70.0% (187/267) of anatomy courses were taught in a single term, compared to 57.7% (15/26) of courses in quarter systems taught in a single term.</p> <p>Most anatomy courses (72.2%, 218/302) were taught as independent, stand‐alone courses. Only 20.9% (63/302) of courses were combined with other subjects (e.g., physiology, biochemistry, etc.). Even fewer PA programs (7.0%, 21/302) had didactic curricula that were fully integrated across biomedical and clinical courses. Course structure could not be discerned for two programs.</p> <p>Information about whether anatomy laboratory content was combined within anatomy courses or listed as a separate course was discernible for 88.8% (270/304) of programs. Most programs integrated a laboratory component into the existing anatomy course (85.2%, 230/270). Anatomy laboratory sessions were registered as a separate course with their own credit hours in 10.0% of programs (27/270), and 4.8% (13/270) of programs stated they taught didactic anatomy content only with no laboratory experiences. Laboratory‐based courses with separate credit hours ranged from 1 to 4 credits (<emph>μ</emph> = 2.04, SD = ±0.85, med. = 2). One program was excluded from this analysis because it listed a separate laboratory course but assigned zero credit hours. It is plausible that the content and logistics of these laboratory‐based courses align closely with associated didactic courses.</p> <p>A total of 190 programs (62.5%) included information for analyzing laboratory instructional formats through a description of laboratory approaches or the stated use of anatomical 'donors' or 'cadavers'. Of these programs, 115 (60.5%) offered a dissection‐based laboratory curriculum, 22 (11.6%) offered a prosection‐based curriculum, and 20 (10.5%) offered combined prosection and dissection approaches. The remaining 33 programs (17.4%) mentioned 'cadaver' or 'donor' but did not further delineate the laboratory approach used.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-14">Anatomy's credit footprint within PA programs</hd> <p>Total anatomy credit hours and anatomy‐to‐program credit hours were computed for 278 programs. Anatomy‐to‐term credit hours were calculated for 273 programs. Given that credit hours for anatomy cannot be differentiated for courses with integrated didactic curricula, those programs were excluded from these analyses.</p> <p>Programs averaged 5.5 total anatomy credit hours (SD = ±2.1, med. = 5.0, min. = 2.0, max. = 15.0). The total credit hours for the term(s) in which anatomy was taught ranged from 5.0 to 86.0 credit hours (<emph>μ</emph> = 24.3, SD = ±15.2). Many of the higher values represented programs where anatomy was taught across multiple terms. The size of the anatomy footprint across term(s) in which anatomy was taught (i.e., the proportion of anatomy represented in anatomy‐to‐term credit hour calculations) ranged from 4.5% to 100% (<emph>μ</emph> = 27.5%, SD = ±13.7%). The size of the anatomy footprint within an entire PA program (i.e., the proportion of anatomy represented within the anatomy‐to‐program credit hour calculations) ranged from 1.2% to 12.3% (<emph>μ</emph> = 4.9%, SD = ±1.8%).</p> <p>A statistically significant difference in the total number of anatomy credit hours was detected between semester/trimester‐ and quarter‐based programs (<emph>t</emph> = −3.26, <emph>p</emph> = 0.020, <emph>n</emph> = 275). Semester/trimester‐based anatomy courses averaged a lower number of credit hours (<emph>μ</emph> = 5.3, SD = ±1.9, med. = 5.0) than anatomy courses within quarter‐based systems (<emph>μ</emph> = 6.7, SD = ±2.7, med. = 6.0; Figure 3). No statistically significant difference was observed when considering anatomy‐to‐term (<emph>p</emph> = 0.778, <emph>n</emph> = 268) or anatomy‐to‐program (<emph>p</emph> = 0.215, <emph>n</emph> = 275) credit hour calculations (see Supporting Information A). Given the significant difference in the total number of anatomy credit hours between semester/trimester‐ and quarter‐based programs, and that fewer than 10% of PA programs follow quarter systems, all subsequent analyses are based on semester‐based programs.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/8Z8K/01may25/ase70029-fig-0003.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="ase70029-fig-0003.jpg" title="3 Boxplots for anatomy, anatomy‐to‐term, and anatomy‐to‐program credit hours for combined and independent courses by the number of terms anatomy is taught for semester‐based programs." /> </p> <p></p> <hd id="AN0184952076-16">Type of anatomy course: Independent versus combined</hd> <p>Independent anatomy courses were more likely to be taught in a single term than anatomy courses combined with other subjects (<emph>χ</emph><sups>2</sups> = 45.32, df = 1, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001). For example, 84.7% of independent anatomy courses were taught in a single term compared to 39.6% of combined courses. Anatomy course structure (i.e., independent versus combined) had no bearing on whether anatomy laboratory sessions were integrated into anatomy courses or assigned separate credit hours (<emph>p</emph> = 0.198).</p> <p>Combined courses that included anatomy were assigned more (<emph>t</emph> = −4.66, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001) credit hours (<emph>μ</emph> = 6.9) than independent anatomy courses (<emph>μ</emph> = 5.0; Figure 3). While this difference was retained in anatomy‐to‐program credit hour comparisons (<emph>t</emph> = −7.10, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001), anatomy‐to‐term credit hour comparisons did not reflect this difference (<emph>t</emph> = 1.70, <emph>p</emph> = 0.090; Figure 3; Supporting Information A).</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-17">Laboratory instructional formats: Dissection‐ versus prosection‐based courses</hd> <p>The dominant laboratory instructional format was noted from each program website. Programs without laboratory format information (i.e., prosection‐based, dissection‐based, or a mixture of both) or that referenced 'cadaver' or 'donor' without citing a precise instructional format were excluded from the analysis (<emph>n</emph> = 117). Likewise, this analysis did not consider virtual laboratory components because of the range of language variation used.</p> <p>No single laboratory instructional format dominated independent versus combined anatomy courses (<emph>p</emph> = 0.271). The number of terms across which anatomy was taught (<emph>p</emph> = 0.933) and whether laboratory sessions were integrated into or separated from anatomy courses (<emph>p</emph> = 0.620) had no bearing on the laboratory instructional formats used.</p> <p>While there were no differences in program length (<emph>p</emph> = 0.501), didactic length (<emph>p</emph> = 0.301), or total PA program credit hours (<emph>p</emph> = 0.608) between programs with different laboratory instructional formats, there were differences in total anatomy credit hours [<emph>F</emph>(<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref35">2</reflink>,<reflink idref="bib136" id="ref36">136</reflink>) = 3.58, <emph>p</emph> = 0.031], anatomy‐to‐term credit hours [<emph>F</emph>(<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref37">2</reflink>,<reflink idref="bib132" id="ref38">132</reflink>) = 5.11, <emph>p</emph> = 0.007], and anatomy‐to‐program credit hours [<emph>F</emph>(<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref39">2</reflink>,<reflink idref="bib136" id="ref40">136</reflink>) = 4.70, <emph>p</emph> = 0.011]. Courses with prosection‐based components had significantly fewer credit hours assigned to anatomy (<emph>p</emph> = 0.031, <emph>μ</emph> = 4.6) than courses with dissection‐based components (<emph>μ</emph> = 5.5) or courses with both components (<emph>μ</emph> = 5.3; Figure 4). Similarly, the proportion of anatomy for prosection‐based courses (i.e., 21.4% of term credit hours and 4.2% of program credit hours) was significantly lower (<emph>p</emph> ≤ 0.011) than the ≥26.9% and ≥4.9% of credit hours, respectively, for dissection‐based courses or those with both components (see Supporting Information B).</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/8Z8K/01may25/ase70029-fig-0004.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="ase70029-fig-0004.jpg" title="4 Boxplots for anatomy credit hours for combined and independent courses by lab instructional format. Programs that mention 'cadaver' or 'donor' and unknown programs were included to show the range of unknown programs." /> </p> <p></p> <hd id="AN0184952076-19">Affiliations with US medical schools</hd> <p>Finally, we assessed whether anatomy course characteristics differed between PA programs associated with medical (MD or DO) schools (i.e., medical schools at the same institution located in the same city/town as the PA program) versus those with no medical school affiliations. Only 105 PA programs (34.5%) were associated with medical programs. There was no association between medical school affiliation and laboratory instructional format (<emph>p</emph> = 0.380) when subdivided by prosection, dissection, or both. However, there was a significant difference when pooling all donor‐based lab formats, with 72.3% (76/105) of programs affiliated with medical schools stating use of donor‐based laboratory instruction versus 57.3% (114/199) of programs unaffiliated with medical schools (<emph>χ</emph><sups>2</sups> = 6.68, df = 1, <emph>p</emph> = 0.010). This finding indicates that PA programs affiliated with medical schools might have increased access to human donors, but the precise instructional format still varies according to individual program needs and resources.</p> <p>PA programs without medical school affiliations had a higher proportion of anatomy courses with laboratories listed as separated credit hours (23/172, 13.4%) than those associated with medical schools (4/98, 4.1%; <emph>χ</emph><sups>2</sups> = 7.43, df = 2, <emph>p</emph> = 0.024). PA programs not affiliated with medical school institutions were more likely to be taught across multiple terms (72/195, 75.8%) than those associated with medical schools (21/102, 20.6%; <emph>χ</emph><sups>2</sups> = 8.81, df = 1, <emph>p</emph> = 0.004). PA programs associated with medical schools were more likely to have independent anatomy courses (90/104, 86.5%) than those not associated with medical schools (128/198, 64.6%; <emph>χ</emph><sups>2</sups> = 18.03, df = 2, <emph>p</emph> < 0.001). Interestingly, the number of fully integrated programs was similar between programs associated with medical schools (6/104, 5.8%) or not (15/198, 7.6%). Considering that programs associated with medical schools tend to be older, more established programs, these findings suggest that many of these programs may not have significantly altered their anatomy curricular structure from when they were established based on medical anatomy course models that were often independent, single‐term courses.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-20">DISCUSSION</hd> <p>The primary aim of this study was to analyze trends in anatomy course characteristics across US Physician Assistant (PA) programs and evaluate how program features may influence anatomy education. Our findings revealed substantial variation in anatomy credit hours, course structure, and laboratory instructional formats among PA programs. Notably, most programs taught anatomy as a standalone course, with dissection remaining a prominent laboratory component, though prosection was also utilized. These variations suggest that anatomy curricula are specifically adapted to program/institutional resources and needs.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-21">PA program characteristics</hd> <p>Despite the number of new programs accredited between 2020 and 2024 (<emph>n</emph> = 64), most program‐level findings are consistent with those of earlier studies. For example, prior studies reported a mean program length of 26.5 months in the 2005–2006 academic year, with roughly equal didactic and clinical curricular lengths.[<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref41">15</reflink>] Our results (i.e., 13.8 months for didactic and 26.7 months for program lengths) support these findings, indicating that these program characteristics have remained stable over the past few decades even though the ARC‐PA does not dictate program, didactic, or clinical lengths.[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref42">2</reflink>] Considering PA programs range between 24 and 36 months in length, representing a more condensed health sciences degree than typical four‐year medical degrees,[<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref43">15</reflink>] there is likely little flexibility in the timing of didactic and clinical curricula, promoting continuity in these characteristics over time.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-22">General anatomy characteristics</hd> <p>Many studies have indicated decreased curricular time allocated to anatomy across health science programs.[[<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref44">16</reflink>]] Similarly, declines were noted in PA anatomy contact hours between the 2005 and 2010 PAEA surveys.[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref45">7</reflink>] The more stable anatomy contact hours observed between the 2010 and 2019 PAEA surveys[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref46">4</reflink>] may indicate that the average number of contact hours needed to teach full‐body anatomy for PA programs has reached a minimum threshold. However, contact hours are not readily available on program websites, and using course credit hours as a proxy does not permit direct comparisons to address recent temporal trends. While significant trends in contact hours between programs with different years of accreditation were not identified, contact hour reductions in established programs were likely met with credit hour reductions reflected in current metrics. If similar website analyses are repeated in the future, these data present a comparable baseline.</p> <p>Further trends in healthcare education indicate a shift toward integrated didactic curricula, particularly in medical programs, where 57% of anatomy directors reported teaching integrated anatomy courses in 2017 compared to 30% in 2009.[[<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref47">16</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref48">18</reflink>]] A 2020 survey found that 81% of allopathic medical programs and 50% of osteopathic medical programs teach anatomy within integrated curricula, suggesting this trend for medical programs continues to increase.[<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref49">19</reflink>] Historically, the structure of the earliest PA programs was modeled after medical school curricula, unlike other health science programs (e.g., nursing). However, we found that only 7% of PA programs had fully integrated didactic curricula, with a further ~21% of anatomy courses being taught in combination with other subjects. This more recent divergence between medical and PA program curricular structures may reflect resource and focal differences between programs, considering PA programs tend to cover a similar breadth of content as medical programs with less depth.[[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref50">3</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref51">9</reflink>]]</p> <p>The present study's results indicate that most anatomy courses (~72%) were taught as independent courses in 2024. This may represent a decrease in the proportion of courses taught independently, considering 86% of program directors reported anatomy as a standalone course in the 2019 PAEA survey.[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref52">4</reflink>] However, whether this trend was driven by integrated versus combined courses is unknown, as this is the first study to separate integrated versus combined PA courses in anatomy education research.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-23">Credit hour comparisons by course characteristics</hd> <p>This study found higher average credit hours for quarter‐system courses versus semester‐system courses. Quarter‐system programs also had a higher proportion of combined courses and courses taught across multiple terms, both of which were associated with higher credit hours compared to independent courses and courses taught in single terms. Either of these course characteristics could explain the higher average credit hours in quarter‐system courses. The explanations for why quarter‐system programs tend to gravitate toward these course characteristics are likely multifaceted, though they may be related to the amount of time needed to teach full‐body anatomy compared to the length of a typical quarter term. It should be noted that this average credit hour difference does not extend to anatomy‐to‐program credit hour ratios because quarter‐system programs also have higher overall program credits.</p> <p>The finding that combined courses have higher average anatomy and anatomy‐to‐program credit hours than independent courses was expected, considering that combined courses should reflect the inclusion of multiple subjects. This indirectly suggests that each discipline within combined courses, including anatomy, may be receiving similar curricular attention when compared to standalone anatomy courses. Additional evidence is needed to confirm this hypothesis. Likewise, average course credits could be higher for both independent and combined courses taught across multiple terms because spreading content across multiple terms could allow for more contact hours and a more in‐depth study of each anatomical region compared to condensed, single‐term courses. It is also likely that a relationship exists between whether anatomy is taught independently or combined and whether anatomy is taught in a single term or across multiple terms, considering 60% of combined courses are taught across multiple terms versus 15% of independent courses. Combined courses might be most successful over multiple terms, given the amount of content required to adequately represent each subject.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-24">Laboratory instructional approach</hd> <p>Anatomy can be logistically and successfully taught through multiple formats.[[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref53">20</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref54">22</reflink>]] Hands‐on laboratory components are not required in PA programs,[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref55">3</reflink>] and the amount of time dedicated to laboratory sessions varies widely between programs.[[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref56">7</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref57">20</reflink>]] PA students generally report positive experiences with anatomical dissection,[[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref58">3</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref59">23</reflink>]] but the usefulness of dissection‐based anatomy has been debated, given the limited amount of curricular time for PA anatomy (105.2 contact hours on average) compared to medical anatomy programs (129 contact hours on average).[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref60">7</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref61">16</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref62">17</reflink>] This has led some to suggest that dissection‐focused formats for condensed PA anatomy courses are less feasible.[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref63">4</reflink>] Given the advantages and limitations of physical lab components across health science disciplines and especially within condensed PA programs, it was unsurprising to find high variability in program and course characteristics, with no clear trends between prosection‐ or dissection‐based courses except average credit hours. For example, there was no clear trend regarding whether anatomy was taught independently or the sequencing of the anatomy course within the broader curriculum. While there was an association between medical school affiliation and stated use of donors in PA laboratory curricula, variation still existed in the precise instructional format (i.e., prosection versus dissection). Combined, these findings indicate that programs are likely making individual decisions based on several factors, which may include available laboratory facilities, qualifications of program faculty, and the importance administrations/faculty place on dissection experiences for their students. However, our results highlight how courses with stated dissection‐based components have higher anatomy, anatomy‐to‐term, and anatomy‐to‐program credit hours than prosection‐only courses, reflecting that those courses require more time and resources. These results should be interpreted as the dominant instructional approach for these programs instead of the sole laboratory approach.</p> <p>Our results support the relative stability of lab‐based curricula in PA studies. Quincy and Snyder[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref64">6</reflink>] extracted data from PA program websites in 2018 and found that 63.6% (124/195 programs) reported using donors in their anatomy curriculum. Our finding that 62.5% (190/304) of program websites in 2024 mentioned dissection or prosection lab curricula or the use of donors without specifying the pedagogical approach suggests the number of recent new programs has not altered the reliance on donors in PA anatomy education. However, both studies are likely limited by the information listed on program websites, as many programs do not delineate laboratory approaches or the use of donors.</p> <p>We also found that 4.8% (13/270) of program websites and/or published course descriptions explicitly described didactic‐only anatomy courses without laboratory components. In the 2010 PAEA survey, only three out of the 82 programs (3.7%) that provided anatomy course information reported zero anatomy laboratory hours.[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref65">7</reflink>] These similarities suggest that lab instruction is still being prioritized in the current PA education landscape, despite the large number of new programs that have opened in the post‐COVID era and decrease in anatomy curricular time throughout health science programs.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-25">Limitations</hd> <p>There were several limitations to the current study. First, the year of initial accreditation was de‐emphasized as a proxy for temporal trends because programs of any age can change curricular characteristics to adapt to current institutional needs and national trends. Second, information from prior studies utilizing the PAEA survey reported anatomy curricular characteristics by average contact hours. Given that contact hours for specific courses are not reported on PA program websites, credit hours were used as a proxy to estimate the footprint of anatomy, limiting direct comparisons with previous studies. Third, while the outcomes presented may be useful to those reviewing their current institutional practices, several unknown factors likely affect these data. For example, while we report the number of credit hours for anatomy, we cannot determine from program websites or the PAEA survey the depth of content captured within those credit hours, the faculty effort allocated to each anatomy course at each institution, or the student‐to‐instructor ratio for class sessions. We are hopeful that future research might address the remaining unknowns for PA anatomy educators. Finally, not all program websites included the necessary data, limiting the sample size for several analyses. While some data extracted from websites were difficult to locate or interpret,[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref66">6</reflink>] the use of two independent reviewers and the consensus process helped to limit the impact of subjective assessments. These final limitations were particularly relevant to explorations of laboratory instructional formats given this information was not presented uniformly across programs' websites, and we could not assess the proportion of virtual‐only laboratory components, as there was a high variability in language when virtual laboratory components might have been included, either alone or in combination with other instructional formats.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-26">CONCLUSION</hd> <p>This study highlights significant variations in the structure and characteristics of anatomy education across US PA programs. While anatomy is commonly taught as a standalone course, approximately one‐third of programs integrate anatomy with other subjects or across multiple terms, reflecting diverse approaches to structuring anatomy curricula according to program resources and needs. Laboratory components, particularly those involving dissection, remain a central feature of PA anatomy education despite resource and time constraints inherent in PA programs that have driven debates about the feasibility of dissection in PA courses. Prosection‐based approaches were associated with fewer credit hours compared to dissection‐based curricula, suggesting that format choice may impact the amount of time allocated to anatomy instruction. These findings underscore the flexibility allowed by the ARC‐PA and the adaptability of PA programs to meet institutional needs while maintaining essential anatomy education standards.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-27">AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS</hd> <p> <bold>Colleen M. Cheverko:</bold> Conceptualization; methodology; formal analysis; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing; investigation. <bold>Chloie Flores:</bold> Writing – review and editing; investigation. <bold>Sabah Hamidi:</bold> Writing – review and editing; investigation. <bold>John Simpson:</bold> Writing – review and editing; investigation. <bold>Hannah Yurich:</bold> Writing – review and editing; investigation. <bold>Adam B. Wilson:</bold> Conceptualization; methodology; investigation; writing ‐ original draft; Writing – review and editing.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-28">FUNDING INFORMATION</hd> <p>No external funding was obtained for this research.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-29">DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT</hd> <p>Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.</p> <hd id="AN0184952076-30">ETHICS STATEMENT</hd> <p>The data presented in this manuscript were extracted from publicly available program websites.</p> <p>GRAPH: Data S1.</p> <p>GRAPH: Data S2.</p> <ref id="AN0184952076-31"> <title> REFERENCES </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational outlook handbook, physician assistants ; 2024 [cited 2024 Sep 9]. Available from: https://<ulink href="http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician‐assistants.html">www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician‐assistants.html</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref2" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> ARC‐PA. Accreditation standards for PA education. 5th ed. ; 2024 [cited 2024 Nov 27]. Available from: https://www.arc‐pa.org/wp‐content/uploads/2024/07/Standards‐5th‐Ed‐July‐2024.pdf</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref29" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> Holland JC, Ni Dhonaill R, Clarke M, Joyce P. Physician associate students' experience of anatomy dissection. Anat Sci Educ. 2021 ; 14 : 52 – 61.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref4" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> DeVaul N, Carroll MA, Brown KM. Creative solutions for a condensed anatomy course. J Physician Assist Educ. 2024.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref5" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> Precht MC, Bennett CC, Cope JM. 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The synergy of cadaver‐based and virtual education: comparing learning outcomes in a physician assistant clinical anatomy course. J Physician Assist Educ. 2024 ; 35 (4): 391 – 396.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Colleen M. Cheverko; Chloie Flores; Sabah Hamidi; John Simpson; Hannah Yurich and Adam B. Wilson</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Colleen M. Cheverko, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Rush University. She is the course director for Rush's PA Anatomy course and teaches anatomy within the medical and health sciences colleges. Her primary research is in biological anthropology, focusing on relationships between physiological stress and aging in past populations.</p> <p>Chloie Flores, B.S., is a second‐year medical student at Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA. She is active in community involvement and social activism particularly in topics related to empowering women, unsheltered communities and young students interested in STEM.</p> <p>Sabah Hamidi, B.S., is a third‐year medical student at Rush Medical College. Prior to medical school, she worked on neurotrauma clinical trials. Her interests include healthcare advocacy and policy, global health, and medical education.</p> <p>John Simpson, B.S., is a third‐year medical student at Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA. He is interested in clinical and medical education.</p> <p>Hannah Yurich, B.S., is a second‐year medical student at Rush Medical College. Before medical school, she served as an EMT and firefighter in Ohio. Her research interests focus on community medical education, particularly in teaching first aid skills and promoting public health awareness.</p> <p>Adam B. Wilson, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Rush University, Chicago, IL. He is the Director of Anatomy Education and Discipline Director for medical gross anatomy. His research focuses on meta‐analytic reviews and topics in educational measurement and evaluation. Dr. Wilson is an Associate Editor for Anatomical Sciences Education.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref33"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib136" firstref="ref36"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib132" firstref="ref38"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref41"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref44"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref48"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref49"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref53"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref54"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref59"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref62"></nolink>
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  Data: Current Trends in Anatomy Course Characteristics across US Physician Assistant Programs
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  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Colleen+M%2E+Cheverko%22">Colleen M. Cheverko</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9065-1768">0000-0002-9065-1768</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chloie+Flores%22">Chloie Flores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sabah+Hamidi%22">Sabah Hamidi</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3978-7501">0000-0003-3978-7501</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22John+Simpson%22">John Simpson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hannah+Yurich%22">Hannah Yurich</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Adam+B%2E+Wilson%22">Adam B. Wilson</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1221-5602">0000-0002-1221-5602</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Anatomical+Sciences+Education%22"><i>Anatomical Sciences Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 18(5):485-495.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 11
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Allied+Health+Personnel%22">Allied Health Personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Allied+Health+Occupations+Education%22">Allied Health Occupations Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anatomy%22">Anatomy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Laboratories%22">Laboratories</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Methods%22">Educational Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Course+Content%22">Course Content</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Credits%22">Credits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Content%22">Program Content</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+Schools%22">Medical Schools</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1002/ase.70029
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1935-9772<br />1935-9780
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Anatomy is a required curricular component within physician assistant (PA) programs, but the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) does not regulate specific course characteristics such as how or when anatomy is taught or the inclusion or type of specific laboratory approaches. The growing number of newly accredited PA programs could impact trends in these and other course characteristics. This project presents descriptive and correlational outcomes of US PA programs and their anatomy course characteristics. Program names and year of initial accreditation were obtained from the ARC-PA website for currently accredited programs. Two independent evaluators reviewed and extracted data from each program website related to term(s) anatomy was taught, whether anatomy was taught independently or combined with other subjects, the instructional format of lab components, and anatomy credit hours. Additional contextual measures included the term system used, overall program and didactic curriculum lengths, and program credit hours. Summary and inferential statistics were used to test relationships between these data. Most anatomy courses are taught independently and in a single term, and the number of newly accredited PA programs since 2019 did not shift emphases on laboratory instruction. Programs averaged 5.5 credit hours for anatomy, but averages differed between semester versus quarter-system courses, independent anatomy courses versus courses that combined anatomy with other subjects, and courses that used dissection versus prosection laboratory instruction. Broad variation in program and course characteristics aligns with previous findings that local curricular decisions are made according to program and institution resources and constraints.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1469922
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1469922
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  BibEntity:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/ase.70029
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 485
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Allied Health Personnel
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Allied Health Occupations Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anatomy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Laboratories
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Methods
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      – SubjectFull: Program Content
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      – SubjectFull: Medical Schools
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Current Trends in Anatomy Course Characteristics across US Physician Assistant Programs
        Type: main
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            – D: 01
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              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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            – Type: issn-print
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            – TitleFull: Anatomical Sciences Education
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