Best way to study for Gross Anatomy?

[DancerFutureDPT]

We had our first exam a few weeks ago and got our grades back....I would have done fantastically if it weren't for the histology section Which, I must admit I didn't study very much.

What are your best methods for studying Gross? My instructor puts all her notes from class into a book for us, and I have just been studying in groups, reading it all out and making sure we really understand the material. Our instructor suggests drawing everything out and frequent visits to the lab. I know some people swear by flashcards, but those don't do anything for me.

Just thought it'd be helpful to get some of your favorite methods to really learn the material.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TristanPT]

The only way that worked for me was to live in the lab. Studying notes and books didn't help. I just went to the lab and looked at all of the bodies. While you are there you can quiz your classmates and learn that way. It is amazing they things you hear and learn while in the lab. Plus, our practicals took place in the lab so you not only had to know your cadaver, but you had to be comfortable with all 25 bodies in the lab. As you know, not everything is how it looks in the book. Of all the bodies we had in our lab on 3 had a picture perfect brachial plexus. All of the others had some different order of bifurcation.

 

[Akiramay]

Oye, I remember that. I totally bombed the histology portion of that exam, and I ended up surviving so no worries. What I realized was that the things that I thought weren't as important were always on the exam. So just make sure to go through everything. Sometimes it's those little details that you think don't matter that actually do.

I never had the time to do flashcards, let alone learn from them, so the only thing I did is everything you're doing now. But yes, drawing and writing things out on my own helped a ton. Since you hadn't studied the histology portion that much, I feel like that's the only reason why you didn't do well, as opposed to how you studied. Just keep up with the material and you'll be fine. And like TristanPT says, it does help to go into lab (which I heard you finally have access to during off hours now). That way, you can study for the written and practical exam at the same time and save some hours. And making your own mnemonics and tricks to learning things helps too. When you can relate the material to your life, it helps you remember it more.

 

[jess818]

agree with both of them-just learn from your mistakes. i also LIVED in the lab and did a lot of drawings. nothing like practice, practice, practice!!

 

[dizzy88]

I lived in the lab as well. My classmates and I would just quiz each other on various bodies. In my opinion, if you know it in the lab...you'll know it for lecture. Not always the case the other way around. In addition, I would just make charts and study guides. Writing things over and over really helps committing it to memory.

 

[markelmarcel]

I lived in the lab as well. My classmates and I would just quiz each other on various bodies. In my opinion, if you know it in the lab...you'll know it for lecture. Not always the case the other way around. In addition, I would just make charts and study guides. Writing things over and over really helps committing it to memory.

Agreed. I lived in the lab, and lucky for me, my lab partners and I got along really well.

Sometimes we would each choose something to become an "expert" on and then we would each spend about 20 minutes studying whatever it was, and then we would "teach" each other, and then quiz each other. Flash cards helped me for applying certain things in lecture, but not so much in lab.

It was all about me getting my hands on the cadaver and the models to make it stick. Also, our prof gave us outlines of what we were responsible for, so it helped me to write down key words/phrases to help me remember things, but for the most part it was all hands on that was my way to success.