The past
The Second Faculty of Medicine was established in 1953. It was originally known as the Faculty of Paediatrics. Until 1995 readers of medicine at the Second Faculty Medicine were taught anatomy at the First Faculty of Medicine. In 1995 a new Department of Functional Anatomy was created for readers of medicine at the Second Faculty of Medicine, students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports and students of the Czech Technical University in Prague. This department was located within the Faculty of Physical Education of Sports. Anatomy was taught for both magister and bachelor students in both Czech and English. A growing number of students and an increasing demand for practical and dissection training led to the decision to create an independent Department of Anatomy for the Second Faculty of Medicine. The department was founded in on the September 1, 2003 and is located within the same building as the Department of Anatomy of the First Faculty of Medicine. Rastislav Druga was appointed as the head of the department and remained in this position until the year 2015, when he was succeeded by David Kachlík. Since the year 2003, employees of the department have published more than 40 scientific articles and 7 teaching texts and presented 42 lectures and 28 posters at international conferences.
The present
Two professors, one associate professor, two postdocs, two assistant professors, three postgraduate students and twenty-two lecturers are employed at the Department of Anatomy. Anatomy is taught in the Czech language for 180 students of general medicine, 30 students of physiotherapy and 35 students of nursing. Anatomy is taught in English for 80 students of general medicine. Research is focused on neuroanatomy and neurohistology, clinical anatomy of the locomotor system and circulatory system and terminology and history of anatomy. Another focus of the departments is the creating of novel teaching aids and educational electronic applications.
The future
We are constantly striving to improve the organisation and contents of the education of anatomy. Therefore, we take students' feedback very seriously and try to implement their suggestions as much as possible. In the future we hope to work more closely with clinical departments and provide more clinical doctors with postgraduate education. To allow us to do this, we intend to establish our own Department of Anatomy of the Second Faculty of Medicine. In the autumn of 2016 demolishment of an old building on the Plzeňská street campus will take place, after this the third phase of the construction of the žížala building will begin. The new Department of Anatomy will be situated within this building and is planned to be in operation from the beginning of the academic year 2019/2020.
