Introduction: Teaching anatomy and physiology, as the foundation of basic medical sciences, plays an important role. Instruction in these courses within medical schools—key centers of medical education—should be designed not only to convey theoretical knowledge but also to strengthen students’ ability to translate that knowledge into practical skills for patient care, health improvement.
Method: This study is a narrative review comparing traditional and modern approaches to teaching anatomy and physiology. More than 50 scientific sources published in Persian and English between 2000 and 2024 were examined and analyzed. Databases searched included the SID, PubMed, and Google Scholar, using keywords such as “anatomy education,” “physiology education,” “teaching methods,” and “integrated education.”
Results: Surveys of students indicate that anatomy and physiology are more valuable than other basic science courses. Although traditional teaching methods are still important, they are insufficient on their own meet the educational needs of the new generation of students. The increase in student enrollment, the limitations of traditional teaching resources, including human cadavers, and the advancement of digital technologies have led to a trend toward the use of new educational technologies. Research findings highlight that tools such as virtual reality, 3D modeling software, gamification, and blended learning enhance students’ spatial reasoning, learning motivation, active engagement, and overall academic performance.
Conclusion: the need for appropriate infrastructure, teacher training, and administrative costs presents challenges. Finally, the use of hybrid approaches, combining traditional methods and new technologies, is suggested as an effective solution to improve the quality of teaching in these courses.