Anatomy is the oldest theoretical discipline in medicine which goes back over 2000 years to the ancient Greeks. A comprehensive knowledge of Anatomy and structural topography of organs (including their variations) is an essential precondition of learning all disciplines of medical and health sciences. The Department of Anatomy primarily focused at creating innovative teaching and learning experience for undergraduate medical students.
The department of anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka was established in 2018. The Anatomy courses conducted for the medical degrees at our faculty consists of both theoretical (Lectures) and practical components based on cadaveric dissections. Currently, this laboratory is supported by a wide range of quality teaching and learning resources including extensive collection of bones, human prosected specimens and models and is supported by interacting multimedia and other technological enhancements. The department has been playing a major role in teaching undergraduate medical curriculum through the integration of cutting-edge technology and creating a conductive and engaging learning platform for the students. Our laboratory was designed aiming at facilitating practical learning experience for medical students by integrating technology and anatomical specimens as learning resources to enhance the delivery of course content and enable students to develop core competencies in areas such as surface, clinical and applied anatomy. Further, the department also supports and create opportunity to students to harness soft skills such as communication and teamwork through a collaborative learning system.
Core facilities and the resources available
- The cadaveric laboratory is one of the featuring facility available at the Department of Anatomy and it is equipped with state of art facilities including body receiving area and preserving chamber with skilled and trained staff to process and preserve the cadavers. The gross anatomy museum displays the intricacy of human anatomy to the medical students. Our modern anatomy museum houses a large collection of mounted human organ specimens, plastinates, human bones and skeletal models. The museum is digitalized and use audiovisual aids and electronic screens to display cadaveric dissections which facilitates engaged student learning. The laboratory is strictly prohibited for taking photographs and electronic recording and maintained at highest standards with a display of respect to the diseased.
- The Department of Anatomy and Pathology shares a common tissue processing and cytology laboratory equipped with modern binocular microscopes with slide preparation facilities that enable medical students to gain a comprehensive knowledge on microscopic structure of human organs and organization of tissues.
- The Department is also in the process of establishing a new human osteology and anthropology laboratory which provides space and materials for medical students’ engagement with hands on learning and research experiences.
