Anatomy for General Surgery

[DrDude]

Do you residents and attendings remember your anatomy cold like you did as a first year med student for exams? The reason I ask is because anatomy is one of those topics that doesn't "stick" with me in that I forget a lot of it after the exam. So are people who go into surgery the kind who have a natural inclination to be good at remembering the fine details of anatomy without much review?

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[tussy]

I found that I forgot a lot and then relearned it during my residency. I had a hard time just memorizing names of things an memorizing anatomic locations. Once i started operating it just made a lot more sense and the anatomy just sticks.

 

[Blade28]

Agree with the above. It makes much more sense intra-op (and therefore is easier to remember) compared to just studying Netter's. Dissections help to a certain degree, but it's never like seeing the real thing.

 

[SocialistMD]

Anatomy was my second worst class (right behind immunology; and where am I now? A surgery resident in a tumor immunology lab. Go figure...), as I am not a "memorizer," either. However, as others have said above, once it becomes relevant, it is much easier to remember.

 

[DrDude]

Good to hear. So what's the best way to prepare for the pimp questions about anatomy involved in an operation? Do you just open up a anatomy atlas the night before and memorize the vessels, nerves, etc of the organ(s) being operated on?

 

[SocialistMD]

Good to hear. So what's the best way to prepare for the pimp questions about anatomy involved in an operation? Do you just open up a anatomy atlas the night before and memorize the vessels, nerves, etc of the organ(s) being operated on?

Open a surgical atlas or text book that details the operation. Surgeons don't typically ask you questions about anatomy that is not in the field of vision, so you can usually get away with looking at the diagrams and learning the structures listed there. Plus, doing that will help you understand what they are doing from your perch at the end of the retractor.

 

[Blade28]

Recall can help you with frequently-asked questions as well.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Is it worth being an Anatomy TA to help maintain the anatomy learned and to do well in the Anatomy portion of the Step I?

 

[smq123]

Good to hear. So what's the best way to prepare for the pimp questions about anatomy involved in an operation? Do you just open up a anatomy atlas the night before and memorize the vessels, nerves, etc of the organ(s) being operated on?

I actually liked looking through Zollinger's surgical atlas when I had time. It has drawings of individual stages of the case, which can be helpful to look at.

The only pitfall is that, often, the way your attending does the case is NOT the way that Zollinger's shows the case being done. But at least it helps with the anatomy, and gives you a general sense of what to look for.

Is it worth being an Anatomy TA to help maintain the anatomy learned and to do well in the Anatomy portion of the Step I?

I don't think so. The anatomy that they teach in first year is really detailed...too detailed for your surgery rotation. And too detailed for the anatomy portion of Step 1. (The anatomy questions on Step 1 were pretty bare-bones and basic.)

Recall can help you with frequently-asked questions as well.

As much as I didn't like that book, I will grudgingly admit that you may be right.

 

[Blade28]

As much as I didn't like that book, I will grudgingly admit that you may be right.

Come on, it's a good book with many uses! Just because it's not as helpful for answering all of your pelvic anatomy questions, or the fact that there's no section entitled "ureter complications"...

 

[smq123]

Come on, it's a good book with many uses!

Oh, no - I totally agree. It's a VERY useful book.

It's the perfect weight and shape to act as a paperweight. It's a pretty good coaster as well.

Just because it's not as helpful for answering all of your pelvic anatomy questions, or the fact that there's no section entitled "ureter complications"...

Oh please. How much of your surgery knowledge could really have come from that book?

After all, there's no section entitled "How to mercilessly make fun of med students" in that book...and yet you guys seem to learn how to do that just fine.

(Or is that chapter in Schwartz? I can never remember....)

 

[DrDre311]

Oh, no - I totally agree. It's a VERY useful book.

It's the perfect weight and shape to act as a paperweight. It's a pretty good coaster as well.





Oh please. How much of your surgery knowledge could really have come from that book?

After all, there's no section entitled "How to mercilessly make fun of med students" in that book...and yet you guys seem to learn how to do that just fine.

(Or is that chapter in Schwartz? I can never remember....)

It's in Sabiston, and there are some pearls on the subject in Advanced Surgical Recall.

 

[Blade28]

It's in Sabiston, and there are some pearls on the subject in Advanced Surgical Recall.