Meet the editor-in-chief of Gray’s Anatomy
Dr. Susan Standring discusses how the medical-school bible remains a classic by changing with the times
How do you revise the world’s most famous textbook? Very carefully.
Dr. Susan Standring is the editor-in-chief of Gray’s Anatomy, the reference book known around the world as the medical student’s bible. On June 9, @SusanStandring answered questions from our community of over a million healthcare professionals.
Here’s how she described the challenges of editing Gray’s Anatomy:
To keep up to date with new ways of looking at the interior space of the body, to keep the anatomy evidence-based, to incorporate new ideas and, to address areas where there is still controversy (like the pelvic floor and cervical fascia)
You can read the entire Q&A on Figure 1. Here are some of the highlights:
1. Start from the bones
Q. What is your best tip to study anatomy in detail and remember everything? I find it hard to remember it all.
A. Don’t try to learn it all — it’s impossible! Learn the basics and understand how systems such as the ANS [autonomic nervous system] are laid out. Use the bones as much as you can, try to work through case histories with an anatomical basis, and make sure you can interpret some standard images.
2. From systemic to regional
Q. Is there an edition [of Gray’s] that you consider most innovative and revolutionary than the other ones? Are you [partial] to a particular edition?Why?
A. I would have to say the first edition that I edited, which was the 39th edition, because I changed the way in which the book was organized from a systematic approach to a regional approach, which is how clinicians “see’ anatomy. If I am allowed two editions, I will add the latest, 41st edition, because this is the first edition to have a large online-only component.
3. Why cadavers still matter
Q. What are your thoughts on the ongoing debate regarding moving away from traditional cadaver dissection towards either 3D models or even digital tools to teach anatomy to med students? I personally loved my gross anatomy lab and think it helped spark my desire to go into general surgery. I’d hate to see future students miss out on such a core experience!
A. I think that cadaveric dissection is a great way to learn anatomy — but only if there is sufficient time in the curriculum. If the experience is rushed then it is rarely as useful. Evidence shows that a blended approach using other pedagogic resources works well, particularly if some cadaveric dissection is part of an undergraduate course. I think that dissection of unenbalmed frozen/thawed cadavers or Thiel-fixed cadavers is an important component of specialist surgical training.
4. Re-interpretations of anatomy
Q. I’m a medical student in the Philippines and we often call your book Mama Gray! May I ask if there are any recent discoveries that would change concepts in the field of anatomy?
A. Not discoveries as such, but re-interpretations of existing anatomical knowledge by surgeons. In the field of colorectal surgery, the definition of the mesorectum has had a very significant impact on the clinical management of cancers of the lower bowel. In the field of reconstructive surgery, the definition of the angiosome has revolutionized the design of flaps.
5. Keeping up with the times
Q. Do you think that technology is improving the preparation of medical students? And is Gray’s Anatomy investing in new technologies for an easier and more accessible medical learning?
A. Gray’s Anatomy benefits from modern imaging and microscopy. I think that technology may help medical students to appreciate 3D anatomy in particular, but learning anatomy remains the responsibility of the student — whatever technology is used, the student still has to put in the effort and learn the anatomy.
