Nice to know vs. need to know: A survey of PT program stakeholders on essential anatomy course content required for excellent clinical care

Anatomical knowledge is the foundation of safe clinical practice. The varying scopes of practice between healthcare professions requires anatomy educators determine what content is essential to teach1. If possible, the educator bases this decision on their clinical experiences. This is a more significant challenge for non-clinicians (~50% of nationwide PT anatomy course faculty)2. Although studies have explored essential anatomy content across many healthcare professions and content areas3,4,5, no study has explored PT gross anatomy. Previous studies have also sourced opinions from expert anatomists and not a broader base of stakeholders such as program faculty, recent graduates, and clinical instructors. Furthermore, there is paucity of data on the preparedness and capability of graduates to apply anatomical knowledge to clinical practice.