The amount of time allocated to teaching gross anatomy within medical curricula has been drastically curtailed worldwide. There is thus a need for core syllabi detailing the level of knowledge all medical students should reach. Against this background, the present study was aimed at determining a compulsory core of anatomical knowledge relevant for non-specialised, i.e. general medical practice. The design of the study was a modified Delphi consensus approach, i.e. the survey relied on a panel of independent experts. 7 general practitioners of high professional profile were asked to identify, in an exhaustive list of the structures included in the current international anatomical terminology, those elements which they considered to be indispensable for their practice. This paper presents the results concerning the digestive tract, with special emphasis on the liver. The current anatomical nomenclature names 499 structures under the alimentary system. Out of these, 442 were judged unanimously. This corresponds to an 88.6 % consensus of opinion. 148 (29.7%) have been settled as indispensable for general medical practice. Based on these results, a 3-level-strategy for teaching anatomy has been implemented. Its main features are briefly described in the paper.