Celebrating World Anatomy Day on a Grand Scale

The Anatomy Working Group (AWG) of Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed), in collaboration with its Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA NUMed), celebrated the 2023 World Anatomy Day with a bang by holding a large-scale external event spread across the NUMed campus and AEON Bukit Indah from 9 to 15 October. World Anatomy Day is a joint initiative between the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) and national anatomical associations that is observed on 15 October annually.

By hosting a public event, AWG hoped to reach out to the communities more effectively. Among its objectives were to enhance anatomical awareness, promote diversity of disciplines, attract young scientists to the field of anatomy, and increase the visibility of NUMed.

“Organising the event outside NUMed was a brainchild of Dr. Joanna Matthan, Dean of Academic Affairs, who encouraged us to try something unique to gain more public engagement. With the support of Associate Professor Dr. Madihah Rushaidhi, Dean of Biomedical Sciences, and the AWG team members, we swung into action,” shared the event Chairperson, Dr. Samaila Musa Chiroma.

While planning for an event of such magnitude was tedious, each and every member of the team put in their best effort, carrying out their assigned tasks cheerfully and efficiently.

It was all worthwhile as hundreds of people thronged the event. Among others, the exhibition of human anatomy models and anatomy model/innovation competition captured the attention of the public who were eager to know more about how their bodies work.

Another popular activity was the body painting/anatomy catwalk, whereby anatomical structures were meticulously drawn on the bodies of student volunteers. Amazed at what they saw, some of the visitors to the booth even requested to have their own bodies painted!

Also well-received were the AMSA booth, where the public got to try their hand at virtual dissections with the Complete Anatomy App from Elsevier, which also included a 3D presentation of the human body, the actions of different body parts, and short videos of body functions; and the cancer awareness booth by the Foundation in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (FIS) lecturers and students, which displayed several posters and models on different types of cancer. Cancer patients/survivors from the public were also there to share their experiences and understand more about their conditions.

The climax of the event was the cutting of two ‘anatomy’ cakes, which were specially prepared for the event by Dr. Prakash. Designed to resemble the head and head and brain, complete with muscles, blood vessels, nerves, bones, and brain tissues, the cakes were so realistic-looking that they garnered a lot of attention from passersby. Professor Dennis Wong, Provost and Group Chief Executive Officer (ASEAN) of Newcastle University; Bryan Yong Chen Lian, Mall Manager of AEON MALL Bukit Indah; Dr. Matthan; and Dr. Madihah cut the cake after the crowd spelled the word “ANATOMY”.

NUMed’s week-long World Anatomy Day Celebration 2023 was a resounding success, attracting an estimated 700 visitors. Sponsors for the event were AEON Bukit Indah, Elsevier, and Legoland Resort Malaysia, which sponsored the prizes for the competitions, encompassing discounted Legoland vouchers, theme park tickets and 2D1N Legoland hotel stays including complimentary breakfasts.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to the top management of NUMed, and all NUMed staff and students, particularly the AMSA and FIS students, who worked tirelessly to make the event a success. Special thanks also goes to all our sponsors for their support and contributions. Last but not least, I’d like to say kudos to our AWG. Let us keep persevering to do even better next time!” said Dr. Samaila.