Jack of all Trades, Master of None? Rethinking Specialization and Professional Pathways for Nigerian Anatomists

Nigerian anatomy education offers valuable intellectual breadth, yet many students and graduates struggle to connect their qualifications in anatomy with clearly recognized professional roles. This editorial argues that the problem is institutional rather than individual. Specialization may improve competence and professional identity, but new course labels alone cannot create employment, legal authority, or workplace readiness. Credible pathways must link demonstrated workforce needs with defined competencies,  supervised training, robust assessment, recognized qualifications, and clear scopes of work. Nigeria also requires a modern regulatory framework grounded in public protection rather than occupational expansion. We propose national workforce and capacity mapping, competency standards, independently assessed pilot programs, and coordinated legislative reform to convert anatomical breadth into accountable expertise and socially valuable work. 

Key Words: Anatomy, specialization, professional identity, workforce development, Nigeria