An anatomist is a physician who specializes in anatomy, or the study of an organism’s physical structure. He or she could be a student or a seasoned professional in the field, specializing in human, animal, or plant anatomy. Anatomists are essential to the biological sciences, and they have contributed to research and discovery for centuries. Although the two fields can sometimes overlap, anatomy should not be confused with pathology, which is the study of diseased organisms.
An anatomist can work in both gross and microscopic anatomy, which involves the examination of samples under microscopy to learn more about details that can only be seen at a microscopic level. Many medical schools include gross anatomy as part of their training curriculum, giving students the opportunity to dissect a body and learn about the structures it contains.
An anatomist can teach at a medical school or a science program. Anatomists can also work as researchers in universities and scientific institutions. An anatomist can work with historical texts to study trends in anatomy and scientific knowledge, as well as medical imaging studies and other types of images that depict anatomical structures of interest, in addition to dealing with actual specimens that can be dissected and examined.
Some anatomists are particularly interested in particular systems, such as the skeletal, endocrine, or cardiovascular systems. They spend the majority of their time learning about these systems and how they work, as well as how body systems interact with one another. Others are simply interested in learning about whole organisms; for example, the field of zootomy focuses on animal anatomy, and information about the anatomy of rare animals can be difficult to come by. To provide a more complete picture, a phytotomist who focuses on plants may choose to specialize in a specific family, genus, or species of plants.
A bachelor’s degree in anatomy is required for those interested in pursuing it as a career. Many anatomists have master’s or doctoral degrees, allowing them to teach and conduct research at a high level, and some have completed postdoctoral work under the supervision of well-known experts in the field. Being an anatomist can be a fascinating job because it allows you to see what is normally hidden and to investigate the mysteries of the organisms you are studying.