The study assesses the perceptions of newly graduated orthopedic surgeons regarding their undergraduate and postgraduate anatomy training in Colombia. It shows that this training is inadequate and varies in quality, negatively impacting their orthopedic residency. This deficiency limits the effectiveness of their surgical and diagnostic skills. The study emphasizes the need to enhance anatomical education with a progressive approach and access to practical tools, such as simulators and cadaver dissection practices, during residency. Introduction: The training in orthopedic and traumatology residency should be influenced by the teaching of anatomy during undergraduate studies, as it establishes the foundation for postgraduate competencies. Currently, in Colombia, there is a lack of adequate focus on human anatomy, which is crucial for this specialty. Residency programs prioritize surgical skills, neglecting anatomy education at this stage, which can impact the professional competence of new orthopedic surgeons. This study explores how newly graduated orthopedists perceive their anatomical training during undergraduate studies and during the residency and how it impacts on their professional development during residency. Methodology: A qualitative research under a Grounded Theory framework was performed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 orthopedic surgeons. Open, axial, and selective coding of the analysis units took place using the NVivo version 14 platform and emerging theories were identified to answer the research question. Results: The emerging theories focused on three key points. 1) Undergraduate anatomy training in Colombia involved a variety of methodologies, and although there were perceived deficiencies in depth and clinical correlation, this affected the level of knowledge of musculoskeletal anatomy at the beginning of the residency. 2) The impact of anatomy in residency education, where orthopedic surgeons perceived its main influence on surgical and diagnostic competencies, although noting a temporal gap between undergraduate teaching and its application in the residency. Finally, 3) the importance of an anatomy training during residency education, highlighting the need for a solid theoretical foundation to assume greater practical responsibility, and additionally, access to didactic models such as cadaver dissections, simulators, and virtual reality training. Discussion: The study highlights the diversity of teaching methods for musculoskeletal anatomy in Colombian medical undergraduate programs and the deficiencies in depth and clinical correlation. There is a perceived low level of knowledge among orthopedic surgeons at the beginning of their residency. Although the importance of musculoskeletal anatomy knowledge in residency is recognized, the temporal gap between undergraduate and postgraduate education can limit its effectiveness. Therefore, there is a need for a progressive, integrated musculoskeletal anatomy teaching throughout medical undergraduate programs and access to didactic models in residency education.
