REVIEW article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Higher Education
Anatomy Teaching in Problem-Based Learning Curriculum: Challenges and Opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Provisionally accepted
- King Faisal University College of Medicine, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Anatomy is the key to medical education, and this study examines the current landscape of anatomy education in Saudi Arabia medical colleges utilizing problem-based learning (PBL) curricula, with the goal of optimizing pedagogical approaches and content dissemination. This study consolidated insights from students, faculty, and institutional frameworks to underscore significant challenges. These include the curtailment of essential anatomical content, inadequate reinforcement across the curriculum, a dearth of formalized faculty training and language-associated impediment stemming from the use of English as the primary language of instruction. Such challenges could undermine the comprehensive anatomical knowledge necessary for ensuring clinical proficiency and patient safety. The suggested modification encompasses the incorporation of anatomy across all stages of medical, education specialized faculty training, and the adoption of pedagogies that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. This study recommends standardized core anatomy curriculum, faculty training to implement dual language instructional techniques and the Saudi association for anatomical sciences to adopt a more prominent leadership position to improve and collaborate anatomical education in the Kingdom. Resolving these challenges enhance student engagement and knowledge retention, thereby harmonizing anatomy education with the healthcare commands of Saudi Arabia and objectives of vision 2030. In conclusion, this analysis culminates in a recommendation for a systematic change aimed at fostering excellence in anatomy education.
Keywords: anatomy1, anatomy teaching2, problem-based learning3, problem-based learning challenges4, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia5, Medical Education6, Saudi Arabia universities7, preclinical teaching8
Received: 15 Aug 2025; Accepted: 17 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kausar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Naheed Kausar, nmurtaza2015@gmail.com
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.