Anatomy before starting medical school

[Future Dr. Hopefully]

Hello everyone, I have recently been accepted to medical school and I want to prepare myself for medical school. I always hear that anatomy is the toughest class because there is a lot to know and memorize. Before I start medical school I was thinking I study and review some anatomy. Of course I am not going to go hardcore and burnout but just to know some things and have an idea of things. So when I start medical school I would not have to dedicate as much time to the class, since I would have studied some of those things. What is everyone's thoughts on this? Do you think its worth doing or a waste of time?If I were to do it what resources should I use? Are there perhaps more challenging classes than anatomy? I would love to hear everyones thoughts.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[amoxicillin_resistant]

its not a bad idea esp if u know ur first semester has anatomy in it. I recommend bluelink anki 🙂

 

[gyngyn]

Do you think its worth doing or a waste of time?

The latter.

 

[RangerBob]

I agree with gyngyn--it would be a waste of time. What you cover in three months in undergrad A&P (or any undergrad science course) you cover in about a week or two in med school. It's not enough to meaningfully tip the needle and there's always a risk you're taught something wrong or "not quite right" and then have to re-learn it, which is harder than learning it for the first time.

Most important is there are far better uses of your time. If you really want to be productive, take Spanish, even a just one quarter/semester is worthwhile. Otherwise, take something fun. Take an art class, or an acting one. Maybe film. Something food related. Or learn something you'll never have the chance to learn again --quantum mechanics, intro to aerospace engineering, etc.

I did ok in med school with nothing but the pre-reqs and an art degree. You will be ok as long as you develop healthy study habits. And I believe those habits are far easier to develop if you have minimal background--you're thrown into the fire hose (you eventually get tired of everyone using that analogy, but it's accurate...) and you learn quickly how to adapt and study. Those who have some background often have a tougher time adjusting because they don't need to study as much for the initial courses to keep up to par, and it gets harder to change habits partway through the year.

Congratulations on your acceptance!

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Anatomy wasn't as bad as people make it out to be tbh. Just chill and enjoy your life for now.

 

[Choсolate]

Lol, everyone saying that anatomy is not that bad. It was really hard for me, and I spoke with other fellow student(s) who told me they wished they previewed anatomy before school started. So there you go.
Going against the flow, I would recommend that you at least become very familiar with the brachial plexus > thoracic plexus > lumbar plexus . Definitely the brachial plexus, at least. If you are looking for a study resource, I would recommend Bootcamp. The anatomy section is kinda meh, but it's very easily organized and user-friendly, so you can just veg watching the videos and answer the MC questions at the end of the videos.

Also, anatomy basically hasn't changed for hundreds of years, so if you do study one subject, I would recommend that this one be it. In other subjects you just don't know what your professor/instructor will emphasize.

 

[operaman]

Don’t waste your time.

Put it this way: when you actually start med school, by exam time you’ll find yourself forgetting things you just studied a few weeks earlier. You’ll remember even less of what you study now. Absolute waste of time.

Enjoy your last bit of true freedom before retirement.

 

[Hollow Knight]

If you feel the need to be productive, go figure out how to make good-tasting, healthy food quickly (meal prepping, etc). How to work out as efficiently as possible.

You don't have time as a medical student to spend 2 hours a day cooking or in the gym, but you can't run around eating doritos and drinking mountain dew or your body and brain will quit on you

 

[amoxicillin_resistant]

You don't have time as a medical student to spend 2 hours a day cooking or in the gym, but you can't run around eating doritos and drinking mountain dew or your body and brain will quit on you

watch me

 

[amoxicillin_resistant]

Don’t waste your time.

Put it this way: when you actually start med school, by exam time you’ll find yourself forgetting things you just studied a few weeks earlier. You’ll remember even less of what you study now. Absolute waste of time.

Enjoy your last bit of true freedom before retirement.

my two cents but I studied a fair bit of MSK (just ran thru some anki) before starting med school and it helped tremendously. I honestly dont think I would have had passed if it were not for the fact I did put in the effort beforehand as I never had taken anatomy before during undergrad.

If anything i wish i had built more of a habit on learning how to study effectively before starting esp as I had taken gap years prior to matriculation

 

[AJS59]

Med student here. Don't waste your time. If you really want to think of anything medical, highly recommend watching The Pitt.

 

[Hollow Knight]

You could also read the House of God but until you work a 30+ hour shift I don’t really know if you’ll “get it.” And there’s way too much gratuitous sex in the book as well for whatever reason.

But that book still pretty much nails medical education (again, minus all the weird sex stuff)

 

[nibhighfootballrules]

Make it stick was a solid book talking about evidence based methods for studying

 

[guytakingboards]

Hello everyone, I have recently been accepted to medical school and I want to prepare myself for medical school. I always hear that anatomy is the toughest class because there is a lot to know and memorize. Before I start medical school I was thinking I study and review some anatomy. Of course I am not going to go hardcore and burnout but just to know some things and have an idea of things. So when I start medical school I would not have to dedicate as much time to the class, since I would have studied some of those things. What is everyone's thoughts on this? Do you think its worth doing or a waste of time?If I were to do it what resources should I use? Are there perhaps more challenging classes than anatomy? I would love to hear everyones thoughts.

What a weird thing to hear. I can't imagine polling my friends from med school or any of my current practice colleagues and having them single out anatomy as more difficult in particular than other courses.

Med school is hard. As in all the classes are hard.

For my particular school, probably the singularly hardest pre-clinical course was renal. We had people getting legit 10/100's on that final. I legit studied and got in the mid 40's. Honors was a like 72/100. IIRC, for anatomy i think over 80% of the class got over 80% on the final.

Back to the point: 1) IMO anatomy is not any tougher than anything else so no point in extra prep 2) no amount of extra prep will really make that much of a difference so double don't bother.