U of T Physical Therapy: Anatomy Dissection Belongs Here

A thorough understanding of anatomy is essential to becoming an effective physiotherapist. It cannot be cut in any way shape or form from the university of Toronto program.

As a graduate from the University of Toronto PT program, I found the anatomy labs to be an integral part of both my current practice and education. On a profession that prides itself on having the best knowledge on the musculoskeletal anatomy, a loss of cadaver labs would be devastating to the development of future physiotherapists. One cannot appreciate the intricacies of the system without seeing and feeling it for themselves. I never would have had an appreciation for the layering of the spinal muscles or the connection of the rotator cuff muscles or the thickness and extensive network of fascia. In a program that already lacked a strong component of surface anatomy, I believe a loss of the cadaver labs would negatively impact the anatomy knowledge of PT students. As for Anne Agur, her passion and enthusiasm for anatomy and desire to have all students understand, has motivated all of us to understand the material better. I wish the committee at U of T to strongly consider keeping the cadaver labs.

I can only echo that which so many of my colleagues have already mentioned in the comments section. Irrespective of the setting in which one chooses to practice, anatomy is fundamental to our profession and the time we spend in the cadaver lab is an essential component of that learning. It will be far more challenging moving forward for students to grasp the layering of various tissues or the variety between individuals without this experience. I would strongly encourage the department reconsider this decision and meet with students moving forward to come to a mutually beneficial resolution.

How are you going to appreciate just how weak an ATFL actually is, without tearing through one on a cadaver? You can't. How else can you get an idea just how tough an ITB is, without yanking on one? You can't. How else can you appreciate just how tight space is under the piriformis for the sciatic nerve, or the DRG exiting the IVFs from the spine, except poking your finger through? You can't. I hope future students have the chance to access and learn from fresh cadavers, instead of prosected ones that just aren't quite the same. It made a difference in my education, and I don't think there is any other way to appreciate the intricacies of a human body than having access to wet dissection labs. For a future physiotherapist, it matters! Please reconsider.

As a graduate from the U of T Physical Therapy program, I strongly encourage the curriculum committee to decide against removing cadaver dissection labs. This was an invaluable part of my experience at U of T, and I think back to this learning experience regularly during my practice as a Physiotherapist. It's such an excellent resource that is available at U of T, and should be something that the program prides itself on. I strongly believe that not only is this a component of the curriculum that should be considered important - it should be considered essential.

There are many reasons why the physiotherapy program at U of T stands out from the others in Ontario, but the anatomy curriculum is by far one of the most important. It was one of the biggest factors that went into my decision to attend U of T over the others schools I was accepted to. I had heard from a student at one of my interviews that some of the universities didn’t offer dissection, and at that moment I knew that U of T would be my top choice. I had already taken a full-year anatomy course in undergrad, where we used a variety of resources including lectures, textbooks, prosections, and 3-D models. None of these materials provided me with a solid grasp on the subject. When I started Dr. Agur’s course, I quickly realized just how little I retained from my previous course - I felt like I was learning everything for the very first time again. This is why I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to dissect a cadaver, layer by layer, with the help of Dr. Agur and her TAs. Dissection has far surpassed every other teaching tool that has been used throughout my education, and I now feel that I have a more thorough understanding of the human body than I ever could have achieved through lectures and other resources. When reasoning through problems in class or in clinic, I always refer back to my knowledge from anatomy labs, easily recalling vivid mental images of each muscle, nerve, and blood vessel. It has been a critical tool in my education so far, and I know it will continue to serve me throughout the rest of my career as a clinician. Knowing how much of an impact it made on my decision a year ago, I made sure to let this year’s interviewees know why our anatomy curriculum stands out from the rest. Most of them, like myself, were surprised to learn that U of T was one of the only schools offering dissection, and I believe many of the incoming students took that into consideration when they chose U of T. Removing this hands-on experience from the cur

The Anatomy dissection labs gave me a far greater appreciation for the internal workings of the human body, the selfless men and women who have donated their bodies to science, and human anatomy in general. It was integral in understanding exactly how everything came together in a 3D space and in understanding how every individual's body is unique and different. This is a unique learning experience for students and it is a highlight of the physical therapy program. I believe it should stay.

I am sure UofT will be doing all they can to maintain the great reputation they have built as a Physical Therapy educational program. That being said, I will sign here in the hopes that the anatomy curriculum will remain as it has been in the past, providing students with the best possible experience in learning this integral component of physical therapy.

Anatomy is a fundamental aspect in order to become a physiotherapist; it is not something that one can tread lightly through. It will be apart of our everyday lives, it is the basis of our profession. Cutting out/down cadaver labs and anatomy sessions takes essential knowledge away from us. Visualizations of the human body through the cadavers would be most helpful as it is hard to determine certain anatomical aspects from a textbook. By cutting down and taking away these cadaver labs and anatomy sessions you are cutting out an essential part of our future career.

The anatomy curriculum, as instructed by the passionate Anne Agur, is a pillar to the overall strength of the UofT PT program. My experience working with cadavers was a privilege that was integral to my PT education and current practice. A special learning opportunity that surely cannot be replicated.

As an incoming student, if I had known about this change it would have highly impacted my choice in programs. I have also heard extremely positive things about Dr. Agur, and knowing that she was instructing the course was a positive aspect of UofT too.

U of T was my #1 choice for PT school due to its wide breadth of classroom theory and practical labs. I will be very disappointed if this component is removed from the curriculum.

Anatomy is part of my everyday practice as a physiotherapist. I not only educate my clients but as I am treating i need to understand what structures are in and around that area. I graduated 2 years ago and have also taken acupunture courses when anatomy is very important as you need to know where the needle is being inserted to. I have used web-based anatomy learning, but it is nothing compared to the hands on learning of a cadavour lab. This is an integral part of the U of T physiotherapy program and I would be very disappointed to see it chnaged.

The anatomy and cadaver portion of the UofT Physiotherapy program is what sets the school apart from other Ontario Physiotherapy programs, and is a huge part of why many students choose UofT. We all learn in different ways (dissecting, reading, writing, practicing) but to better understand what layers of tissues you are working through when treating a patient - the ability to physically explore the human body was critical to my practice. Now as a physio, I have a great appreciation for what I'm affectin with my hands. . This knowledge cannot be acquired from a textbook. Please don't remove/alter/decrease the most important part of the program.

As a recent grad and now having had experience in the real world, the cadaver and anatomy labs were integral in building my muscle memory and my knowledge of the human body. Cannot imagine a program without the extent to which it was covered when I was a student

Will McIsaac

As physiotherapists, a significant part of the value that we add to the healthcare system is through our expertise in anatomy. This expertise is invaluable to the care of the patients we see in the community. It aids in our assessment and treatment of the musculoskeletal and nervous system, enhances our diagnostic skills, and supports our patient education thus enhancing patient compliance and ultimately patient outcomes. Partaking in the cadaver labs is critical to the development of this anatomy expertise. Developing an appreciation for the complexity of our neuromusculoskeletal system can only come from direct interaction with the human body and the tissues that lie beneath the skin. Learning experiences like these are what forge us into anatomy experts. An educational institution as reputable as the University of Toronto has a duty to provide more to it's students than what can be learned through an online search or the purchase of a textbook. That includes learning from clinical anatomy experts and gaining exposure to human anatomy first-hand. Devaluing the cadaver labs disregards the very important reality that what we learn in a textbook doesn't always translate into real life or into the clinic.

Cadaver labs are an essential component to physical therapy education. Removing them would significantly devalue the program.

We learn a lot about ethics during our time at U of T given that our profession is high risk. We are told we should never compromise care in exchange for cost. For instance we are paid significantly less for WSIB and yet should not and will not compromise care. Why should our education be any different? Do not compromise our education for cost. Anatomy isn't just an added bonus to our program and career. It is integral to our profession and makes up the entire backbone of what we do. Without anatomy, we will flounder. Without Anne Agur, the anatomy program will flounder. I hope you put serious thought into the consequences of this decision especially when they are made without consultation to any of the students.

The cadaver labs were an invaluable part of my Physiotherapy training at U of T. As a physiotherapist a solid foundation in human anatomy is essential and the best way to appreciate it, and gain an understanding of the variations between people is to have the hands on experience of cadaver if specimens. My personal preference would have been to have well prepared prosected specimens available for examination and handling, however I understand that budgets may not allow for this. And if it came down to a choice between cadaver dissections or none at all, I would absolutely want the opportunity to have the dissections. Furthermore, the knowledge and experience of Anne Agur and the lab TAs was extremely Important for my learning and understanding. Without their expertise I do not think my anatomy foundation would be as strong as it is. I think the anatomy program is what helps to make U of T's Physical Therapy program the best in Canada, and changing how it is structured would be detrimental to the integrity of the program.