A&P driving me nuts!!!

[JuniperB]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Here I am in A&P. I've wanted to take this class since I started my journey through school. I tried to get in a while ago (based on having taken 450 hours of A&P, Kines, and path - in a massage school) and got bounced back to Alg, then Gen Chem (loved Chem, no really loved chem - set some sort of high score record, yes I am a dork).

This doesn't seems like that long ago, but I work fulltime and can only take 1 class at a time so that said it has been ~2 years of pushing to get here.

The class SUCKS!!!! I can barely convince myself to attend, and even then I want to leave early. I have a 3.9 and have been a very dedicated student up to this point. What gives?

The professor like to teach and it shows, but it is so DRY, huge volumes of water to wash it down is not helping... Granted we are only in chem review and cytology. The professor lectures from 5:30-10pm twice a week, there is supposed to be a lab, but due to "technology advances" it is mostly done at home online....urgh.

It makes me want to drop the class, find a short, late start intermediate ALG class or something in philosophy/logic/business - too late to start another full science, and quit with the dream of A&P in my undergrad. I can take whatever A&P med school requires, from what I've heard it will be at med school, not before.

Thanks for reading. A comment would be welcome. Shared experience.

Thanks,

JB

 

[akinetopsia]

I'm in A&P as well. It's a large lecture, around 300 students, and a small lab - around 20. It's not a required class for me, considering I'm post-bacc, but I'm taking it because I'm interested in A&P. The first day of the lecture the professor asked who was a Nursing major. 90% of the class raised their hands. Out of the 10% left, most were biology majors, and 5-6, including me, were taking the class because they're interested in A&P.

That class of yours sounds like a long class. It's also kind of unfortunate your lab isn't hands-on. My lab, the first one we just reviewed anatomical position, terms, and planes; the second one we reviewed the microscope; this past week we looked at some slides of different types of cells and it was mainly a lab about the cell membrane and cell structure and organelles. Additionally, we can come early or stay late to manipulate the skeletons/models/etc. to get a better feel or understanding of the different things we're assigned: the second week, it was a basic overview of the axial skeleton and limbs (no more than a pretty basic 20-30 bones), this past week we were responsible for the cranial & facial bones & sutures.

It is a voluminous amount of material, it just takes time. It's fascinating to me though, so it doesn't really drag. I don't know what to say... since the class doesn't seem to be required for you, maybe take something else you are interested in if you've already paid the tuition and can't get it back.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

If you don't really like the way that the material is taught & it's not that interesting, I'd suggest trying to get your hands on old tests, or speak with students who studied under the professor to understand how the tests are done, & just study to get through it. If you've got a 3.9, you likely are quite good at this already. To bad you aren't enjoying the material, I had a really good A&P instructor.

When I took this class, I saw it as "turn on photographic memory", "input data", then, upon taking the tests "regurgitate data". I developed all sorts of pnemonics (spelling?) given most A&P things seemed to have lists.. muscles do these 8 things.. the parts of the ear are.. the one area that I found tough, even with a good memory, was learning all of the muscles, origens, and insertions. Part of this is because I'd use our different books and the books sometimes considered origen & insertion points slightly different.

Another suggestion for the more complicated systems is to draw them out freehand..i'd read about the muscle components, think I had it down, and then draw it incorrectly. Even doing this 1-2 times before a test/quiz seemed to really help.

 

[saylorsdad]

A couple of things to note is that A&P can be pretty boring. Think about how many times your prof has stood up there and pointed out the acromial process. At my ug school I had to take Anatomy and Physiology, two seperate classes. The anatomy was pretty boring, and the Physiology was a bit more interesting as you learn the concept rather than, oh boy look that's the Lambdoidal Suture.

As a current High School A&P teacher I have seen both sides still you just have to suck it up. If you're going to med school I am sure that at some point you will be unmotivated about the coursework and just have to do it.

 

[JuniperB]

Thanks for the input!

I had a spark of actual enjoyment lastnight.... there might be hope yet.

I love A&P, but more specifically pathophys and kines.

There are some pretty good A&P analogy products that help with memorization and the previous poster that asked about past tests is right on.

Will see where it goes. If it is a flop there is a open entry math course that I can use to get my next math prereq and take the A&P with a prof I know I like.

Cheers,

JB