Dr Eiman Abdel Meguid, Reader (Education), Centre for Biomedical Sciences Education, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast; Associate Professor Dr Hailey Nation, Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health at San Antonia; Associate Professor Dr Marwa Mahmoud Mady, Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Alexandria University Egypt and Department of Biomedical Sciences Gulf Medical School University United Arab Emirates; Dr Alessandro Impedovo, University of Nottingham.
This seminar is relevant to discussion addressing the proposed Individual Duty of Candour Bill. If candour is to be effective, it not only depends on appropriate responses following adverse events, but also on educational and organisational cultures that prepare healthcare professionals to recognise normal anatomical variation, distinguish variation from pathology, anticipate procedural risks and communicate uncertainty accurately and sensitively.
Anatomical variation is a normal feature of the human body, yet health professions education has traditionally relied on standardised anatomical models that may not adequately represent variation across populations. This presentation examines how greater recognition of anatomical diversity in dental and healthcare education could contribute to safer and more equitable care in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, having relevance in relation to clinical reasoning, interpretation of diagnostic images, procedural planning and communication of uncertainty or unexpected findings.
Key findings are shared from an academic structured synthesis of four main evidence sources – namely: (1) research studies examining students’ experiences of inclusive anatomy curricula; (2) research investigating anatomy learning and student motivation; (3) systematic and scoping reviews of approaches to teaching anatomical variation; and, (4) clinically relevant literature on anatomical variation and its implications for practice. Those sources have been critically appraised according to study design, sample and relevance to other clinical settings, to reveal new findings about dental development and oral characteristics – and how such development and characteristics vary significantly by ancestry, ethnicity, sex and geographic region – distinguishing established findings from emerging practices and unresolved evidence gaps.
That synthesis observed differences in eruption timing, tooth morphology, gingival pigmentation, arch form and aesthetic perceptions, emphasising the need for population-specific reference data and culturally sensitive, individualised diagnosis and treatment planning, rather than continued reliance on a single universal dental norm. Moreover, drawing on 2020, 2024 and 2025 academic research findings concerning health professions students, the presentation highlights how recent research illustrates the need for continued investigation of such students’ motivation, if feasible and effective education strategies are to be evidence-informed and further developed.
While acknowledging both the strengths and limitations of the available evidence, the presenter draws on these research findings and her wider scholarship to consider the following three issues: (1) whether current education and training standards adequately prepare professionals for population variation; (2) whether organisational learning following adverse events appropriately considers gaps in curricula and representation; and, (3) whether implementation of a statutory Individual Duty of Candour, as currently proposed, should be accompanied by written, evidence-informed guidance on inclusive educational resources, continuing professional development, incident learning and patient involvement. Drawing on those findings, as well as her wider scholarship, she acknowledges both the strengths and limitations of the available evidence.
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