Physical anthropology for medical sciences: a need in current times

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Keywords:

Physical Anthropology, Legal Medicine, Anatomy.

Abstract

Introduction: The knowledge system of Physical Anthropology responds to medical specialties such as Human Anatomy and Legal Medicine. In Cuba, these medical specialties do not have adequate depth and professional improvement that allows the practical use of this knowledge.

Objective: To characterize the training about osteology and dental medicine in view of human identification, carried out at the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas between January and March 2020.

Methods: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. The population consisted of 25 trainees, specialists in Legal Medicine and Human Anatomy. Some variables were considered, such as study program, teaching category of the participants, satisfaction with their development and results of teaching promotion. For the empirical inquiries, the positive-negative-interesting technique was applied as part of the general assessment of the course.

Results: The course lasted 56 hours distributed in seven weeks. As part of its achievements, the anthropological classification and characterization of a part of the materials from the bone collection of the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas was carried out, as well as its expansion through a physical anthropology section that incorporated six complete corpses anthropologically characterized.

Conclusions: This training allowed to train and update the students on human identification, based on the study of bone remains referring to the qualitative and quantitative expression of morphological characters, which respond to the needs of teaching practice in Anatomy, as well as in legal-medical assistance.

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Published

2021-11-30

How to Cite

1.
Bahr Ulloa S, Monzón González J, Estupiñán Rodríguez N, Pérez Triana E, Morales Valdés JC. Physical anthropology for medical sciences: a need in current times. Educación Médica Superior [Internet]. 2021 Nov. 30 [cited 2025 May 8];35(4). Available from: https://ems.sld.cu/index.php/ems/article/view/2584

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