Greek and Latin based teaching strategies in anatomy for undergraduate students: A systematic review

Background: Anatomy education relies heavily on Greek and Latin terminology, which often poses a challenge for undergraduate students because of its complexity and unfamiliarity. Traditional rote memorization methods limit conceptual understanding and long-term retention. Objective: To systematically review the evidence on Greekand Latin-based teaching strategies in anatomy education for undergraduate students and evaluate their effectiveness in improving comprehension, retention, and clinical application. Methods: A systematic search of educational and anatomical literature was conducted using databases and academic sources focusing on anatomy teaching strategies, terminology learning, and etymology-based instruction. Studies included undergraduate medical and allied health education contexts. Data were analyzed to identify key teaching strategies and outcomes. Results: Evidence suggests that root-based learning, contextualized instruction, multimodal teaching approaches, and active learning strategies significantly enhance students' understanding of anatomical terminology. Linguistic based approaches improved knowledge retention, confidence, and the ability to interpret unfamiliar terms. Conclusion: Greekand Latin-based teaching strategies transform anatomy learning from memorization to meaningful understanding. Integrating etymology with clinical and experiential learning improves academic performance and supports the development of professional competencies.