The lectures on anatomy, embryology and histology are offered as a longitudinal lecture series in the first three years of study. The contents of the lectures are adapted to the module topics and convey the basic knowledge of anatomy and prepare students for the internships and seminars.

In the first year of study, the focus is on basic knowledge of anatomy. The clinical topics serve as an "appetiser" for a basic understanding of the body, organs and tissues. Anatomical teaching is structured in such a way that systematic, functional and topographical content takes centre stage.

In the second year of study, topics from the first year are taken up again and deepened in the sense of a learning spiral. In order to link anatomy with clinical issues, joint courses are organised with clinical subjects. In addition, topics from neuroanatomy and sensory organs are taught.

The third year of study is characterised by the overarching clinical subject areas of neurology, psychiatry, gynaecology, urology and paediatrics. In anatomy, the main focus is on learning content from the field of neuroanatomy and the female and male reproductive organs. Some of the course content is taught together with clinicians

The anatomy/radiology lecture is an interdisciplinary lecture series in the 2nd and 3rd year of study. Together with the radiological and clinical departments of the University Medicine Oldenburg, anatomy is repeated and deepened and linked with radiological-clinical methods and questions. The content learnt is put into practice in radiological-anatomical seminars.

The microscopic anatomy course takes place in the course room of the new microscopy room (A03 Microscopy Room at Haarentor), which is equipped with the latest media technology. All of the students' microscopes are equipped with digital cameras and can be connected to a laptop. This enables students to make live recordings of the specimens and share them with lecturers and fellow students. The virtual microscopy platform Smartzoom is also used in the course and for preparation and follow-up of the course content.

In contrast to many other Schools, the University of Oldenburg is currently unable to offer its own anatomy practical course, as the infrastructure for wet anatomy is still being established. In order to give students access to anatomical specimens, the anatomy practicals take place in the anatomy section of the UMCG as part of the co-operation with the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. To this end, students are travelled to the University of Groningen several times per semester so that they can complete their anatomy internship there. As the University of Groningen does not offer medical students a dissection course, the anatomy practical course is taught using excellently prepared demonstration specimens and plastinates. To enable Oldenburg medical students to both deepen and supplement their practical anatomical knowledge, the Oldenburg Department of Anatomy also offers the following additional courses:

• Pre-clinical elective "Anatomical dissection"
• Brain dissection course

The anatomy seminar helps students to repeat and consolidate the anatomical material they have learnt. The questions and tasks of the seminar are worked on in small groups and discussed with the lecturer at the end of the working phase. In order to link the anatomical knowledge with clinical topics, the students work on selected tasks on clinical-anatomical issues, which they present together.

From the 2nd year onwards, we organise the interdisciplinary radiological-anatomical seminar together with doctors from the radiology department. Using radiological imaging procedures (classic X-ray diagnostics, CT, MRI, sonography), which are now an integral part of everyday clinical practice, students are once again introduced to "normal" anatomy. In addition, basic pathologies that have already been presented in clinical lectures are repeated and deepened using selected radiological images. As in the anatomy seminar, it is again important to us that students take an active role in this seminar by working independently on the questions posed.

In addition to the classic anatomy practical course, the course "Anatomy in vivo" (anatomy on the living) is offered in the first semester. This course, which is organised jointly with the Oldenburg physiotherapy schools, is closely linked to the anatomy internship and the clinical examination courses. In this interdisciplinary course, they learn applied anatomy on humans together with physiotherapy apprentices and are accompanied by clinical, anatomical and physiotherapy lecturers. The aim is to understand the techniques of basic physical examination through mutual examination, to better understand the anatomical structures and to adopt an open, appreciative and respectful attitude in the interprofessional team.

As part of the neuroanatomy practical course, all third-year students are given the opportunity to dissect the entire brain. This 1-day course takes place in the anatomy department in Groningen.

As Oldenburg students do not have a dissection course as part of the curriculum, the Department of Anatomy offers the pre-clinical elective "Anatomical Dissection" in collaboration with the Section Anatomy and Medical Physiology at the University of Groningen. In total, half of the interested second-year students (30 students in October of each winter semester) and third-year students (30 students in March of each summer semester) are given the opportunity to dissect specimens themselves. The full-day internship lasts one week and takes place in Groningen. This internship allows students to put their anatomical knowledge into practice, deepen it and adapt it to clinical issues. At the end of the practical course, the students present their dissection areas.