Beyond knowledge: Cultivating noncognitive skills and attributes through anatomy education

Anatomy education has historically prioritized cognitive knowledge acquisition and technical skills, such as spatial awareness and manual dexterity. Noncognitive attributes, essential for early-stage learners, such as social skills, motivation, emotional intelligence, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and resilience, have remained comparatively underappreciated. These attributes are rarely explicitly cultivated within anatomy curricula, yet, they are expected and reinforced through both formal and informal learning experiences and the broader educational environment. Increasingly, noncognitive attributes are recognized as foundational to professional identity formation and predictive of academic, clinical, and workplace success. This review explores the development of noncognitive attributes in anatomy education within established psychological frameworks. It considers how the learning environment and student support can be optimized for promoting development of student motivation, resilience, and self-regulated learning. The role of culture and curriculum design in fostering the acquisition of noncognitive skills is discussed, highlighting the importance of active, authentic, and inclusive practices and the integration of diverse perspectives and teaching methods into anatomy curricula. Finally, we discuss how assessment, feedback, and reflective practices can support development of noncognitive skills. These practical insights are delivered through a theoretical lens, offering strong evidence-based support for anatomy educators who wish to intentionally cultivate noncognitive attributes within their classroom.