Use of figurative artwork in clinical anatomy as a valid teaching tool to train visual skills and critical thinking: a pictorial guide

Observation has a key role in Anatomy; Art, in turn, is a powerful tool for training the “clinical eye” in medical undergraduate students. In the last years, different projects have been integrated into our three-semester course of human and clinical anatomy: webinars, conferences, videos, social media activities, and figurative artwork shown as clinical triggers. A practical guide to link artworks with body systems is herein proposed. Attention is given to choosing narrative paintings or sculptures suggesting anatomic details, malformations, and/or pathologies related to the several chapters treated along the anatomy course program. Good-resolution images can be uploaded from public-domain media file repositories. The teacher guides the students in trying to “read” and “decode” each artwork, not just looking at the main plane but also focusing on the background, color shades, textures, and body language. Free discussion, as well as critical and lateral thinking, should be encouraged. Students actively and enthusiastically participate, focusing on distinctive features of the artwork, thus rendering learning enjoyable and meaningful. The use of art positively impacts students’ analytical and diagnostic skills, empathy, humanness, and mindfulness. Moreover, it promotes problem-solving and lateral thinking, all of which are essential in forming the person and a better future clinical performance. The benefits of using art in the anatomy course are clear, enhancing students’ learning experience and preparing them for their future clinical practice.