This paper compared laboratory courses in anatomy and physiology offered by the Department of Food Science and Nutritioin, Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen Two-Year College to courses offered by three other junior colleges and one university in terms of course coutent and the course's place in the curriculum. This paper also examined improvements the College must make as a facility training dietitians. The College considers the number of laboratory courses it offers appropriate, but results of this study revealed that its courses are only superficially associated with anatomy and physiology and that improvements, such as curriculum adjustments and use of relatet courses, are needed. In addition, students' evaluations of the content of the College's laboratory courses in anatomy and physiology were analyzed. This analysis allowed the examination of students' approaches to courses and improvement of course content. Results revealed that the College's students approach courses with an awareness of what they need to know as dietitians and registered dietitians. In terms of course content, seven laboratory courses with well-developed content or with content that could be better developed to make the course more interesting were examined. Of these, four courses were found toneed vast improvement or a re-examination of course content.
This study examined laboratory courses in anatomy and physiology needed by dietitians as members of ancillary support staff and helped to identify more student-centered educational content for laboratory courses in anatomy and physiology.