NOMENs land: The place of eponyms in the anatomy classroom

Abstract

The law of Non-Original Malappropriate Eponymous Nomenclature (NOMEN) states that no phenomenon is named after its discov-

Eponyms have a place in the anatomy classroom

“…This eases communication and can provide evidence as to why clinicians would still use such terms. It is clearly fitting within Ferm and Lyons' definition quoted in the article, in that it does "develop medical vocabulary for use in diagnosis and communication as a physician" (Ferm & Lyons, 1971;McNulty et al, 2021).…”

“…Having a period of phasing out the eponymous terms, as McNulty et al (2021) suggested, would surely then also create more confusion and invite a greater "risk of future legal action" Thus, eponymous terms are indeed indispensable.…”

“…To the Editor of Anatomical Sciences Education, It was a pleasure to read the article "NOMENs Land: The Place of Eponyms in the Anatomy Classroom" published in Anatomical Sciences Education by McNulty et al (2021). As a senior medical student, I especially took interest in their thoughts of how eponyms impact student learning.…”

“…I write this to share my experience of learning eponyms in the anatomy classroom as a learner, in response to their conclusion of furthering this discussion. McNulty et al (2021) wrote that eponyms are a hindrance to medical education, as it adds to the already high cognitive load of the course, rejecting the notion that clinicians use eponyms out of ease. Rather, they believe that the use of eponyms leads to clinical errors and legal action.…”

A case for using eponyms in anatomy to teach bioethics

“…In a recent viewpoint commentary, McNulty et al (2021) make the compelling case for removing eponymous terms from the anatomy classroom. Their argument is twofold: (1) the terms themselves are not descriptive of the anatomy and therefore increase the cognitive load of learners in a subject that already results in high cognitive loads; and (2) eponyms are often attributed erroneously, and the non-inclusive history of anatomy as a discipline means that eponyms are disproportionately attributed to white men, even when it is known that they were not the first to document or discover an anatomical structure.…”