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The intersection of religion and science often elicits polarizing views among scientists, though approximately half of American scientists identify as religious. Mounting evidence also supports the role of spirituality in comprehensive patient care. The purpose of this study was to explore the religiosity of faculty who teach in the anatomical sciences at U.S. colleges and universities. Surveys were administered to anatomists through two professional societies. Two‐thirds (64.9%, 74/114) of respondents identified as religious, 26.3% (30/114) as atheist, and 8.8% (10/114) as agnostic. Most respondents (64.9%, 74/114) disagreed with the statement, "There is no place for religion and science to intersect." Approximately one in three respondents expressed concern that sharing/disclosing their religious beliefs would negatively affect the perceptions of colleagues (32.5%, 37/114) and students (28.9%, 33/114) toward them. Faculty at faith‐based institutions were more open to disclosing their beliefs (p = 0.045), and highly religious individuals were more concerned (p = 0.001). Fewer than one‐fifth of respondents 17.5% (20/114) personally experienced mistreatment or discrimination within academic settings due to their religious beliefs. Most respondents held politically liberal‐leaning views (71.0%, 76/107). Highly religious individuals were more likely to be politically conservative (p < 0.001). Overall, this study demonstrates that the number of anatomists who identify as religious may be higher than that of other biological disciplines and that mistreatment due to religious views remains a challenge for some in the profession. Continued dialogue regarding the role of religion in professional identity expression may be an important step in mitigating religion‐focused mistreatment and discrimination in academic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic reviews and meta‐analyses aggregate research findings across studies and populations, making them a valuable form of research evidence. Over the past decade, studies in medical education using these methods have increased by 630%. However, many manuscripts are not publication‐ready due to inadequate planning and insufficient analyses. These guidelines aim to improve the clarity and comprehensiveness of reporting methodologies and outcomes, ensuring high quality and comparability. They align with existing standards like PRISMA, providing examples and best practices. Adhering to these guidelines is crucial for publication consideration in Anatomical Sciences Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research suggests that underrepresentation in medical curricula perpetuates inequities in healthcare. This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of human phenotypic diversity (e.g., skin tone, sex, body size, and age) across 11 commonly used anatomy atlases and textbooks in pre‐clerkship medical education, published from 2015 to 2020. A systematic visual content analysis was conducted on 5001 images in which at least one phenotypic attribute was quantifiable. Anatomy images most prevalently portrayed light skin tones, males, persons with intermediate body sizes, and young to middle‐aged adults. Of the 3883 images in which there was a codable skin tone, 81.2% (n = 3154) depicted light, 14.3% (n = 554) depicted intermediate, and 4.5% (n = 175) depicted dark skin tones. Of the 2384 images that could be categorized into a sex binary, 38.4% (n = 915) depicted females and 61.6% (n = 1469) depicted males. A male bias persisted across all whole‐body and regional‐body images, including those showing sex organs or those showing characteristics commonly associated with a specific sex (e.g. for males, facial hair and/or muscle hypertrophy). Within sex‐specific contexts, darker skin was underrepresented, but male depictions displayed greater overall skin tone variation. Although most images could not be assigned to a body size or age category, when codable, these images overwhelmingly depicted adults (85.0%; 482 of 567) with smaller (34.7%; 93 of 268) or intermediate (64.6%; 173 of 268) body sizes. Ultimately, these outcomes provide reference metrics for monitoring ongoing and future efforts to address representation inequalities portrayed in anatomical imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey‐based research is vital in education and social sciences, offering insights into human behaviors and perceptions. The prevalence of such studies in medical education has risen by 33% over the past decade. Despite this growth, the utility of survey findings depends on the study design quality and measure validity. Many manuscripts are rejected due to poor planning and lack of validity evidence. These guidelines aim to improve the rigor and reporting of survey‐based research, ensuring credibility and reproducibility. They apply to various survey tools and evaluations, setting a standard for manuscript quality and informing the review process for Anatomical Science Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study summarizes employment benefits from across 155 U.S. allopathic medical schools, investigates differences in employment benefits according to institutional characteristics, and explores possible connections between employment benefits and institutional wealth. Employment benefits data were extracted from institutions' websites across four categories: time‐off, time‐away, retirement contributions, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)/family benefits. This dataset was mixed with other publicly available datasets sourced through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Council on Education (ACE), and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to conduct additional analyses. Nationally, medical schools offered an average of 31 vacation/sick days and 12 paid holidays. Schools typically offered 4 out of 8 time‐away benefits. Employers' retirement contributions ranged from 3.0% to 15.5%, with a mean contribution of 8.5%. A total of 43.2% (67 of 155) of medical schools offered a pension. Collectively, private medical schools offered fewer time‐away benefits and more EAP/family benefits compared to public schools. Universities with larger endowments per student were associated with a higher number of EAP/family benefits offerings (r = 0.543, p < 0.001). Institutional wealth did not influence other benefits offerings. The quantity/quality of most employment benefits offered at allopathic medical schools were wide‐ranging, tended not to vary by region or school control, and were not a function of institutional wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth in the online survey market may be increasing response burden and possibly jeopardizing higher response rates. This meta‐analysis evaluated survey trends over one decade (2011–2020) to determine: (1) changes in survey publication rates over time, (2) changes in response rates over time, (3) typical response rates within health sciences education research, (4) the factors influencing survey completion levels, and (5) common gaps in survey methods and outcomes reporting. Study I estimated survey publication trends between 2011 and 2020 using articles published in the top three health sciences education research journals. Study II searched the anatomical sciences education literature across six databases and extracted study/survey features and survey response rates. Time plots and a proportional meta‐analysis were performed. Per 2926 research articles, the annual estimated proportion of studies with survey methodologies has remained constant, with no linear trend (p > 0.050) over time (Study I). Study II reported a pooled absolute response rate of 67% (95% CI = 63.9–69.0) across 360 studies (k), totaling 115,526 distributed surveys. Despite response rate oscillations over time, no significant linear trend (p = 0.995) was detected. Neither survey length, incentives, sponsorship, nor population type affected absolute response rates (p ≥ 0.070). Only 35% (120 of 339) of studies utilizing a Likert scale reported evidence of survey validity. Survey response rates and the prevalence of studies with survey methodologies have remained stable with no linear trends over time. We recommend researchers strive for a typical absolute response rate of 67% or higher and clearly document evidence of survey validity for empirical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]