Anatomy help

[Jasminegab]

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I'm a first year medical student and I'm feeling the pressure of anatomy memorization. There is so much information that at times I feel overwhelmed. I have a good anatomy book that teaches me alot. However, I'm wondering if all of it is shinking in. My instructor told me not to put so much pressure on myself because I'm not going to learn it all in a week or month. However, I keep telling myself that I should know this and I put more pressure on myself to learn the material. So, how do you do it? Did you learn the basic's and the rest was reinforced over the year as you contine your medical education?

To relieve myself of the pressure, I've stopped trying to learn everything in one study session. I study for about 10 hours a day. I kid you not. I get up about 6-7am and open my books and start reading and taking notes. I give myself a break after every hour of study. Then I hit the books again. I don't work and focus all my time on my education. By 8pm, I'm burnt out and call it quits and go to bed at 10pm. During the weekend, I give myself a 4 hour review on the region we covered for that week. I just finished the Back (vertebrae). Sunday I gave myself a review and today we started the upper extermity. We've already covered the bones of the body and had our first exam. So, I know my bones. Now, we're putting the bones into action by connecting the muscles and nerves and just the muscles alone are alot to learn not including the nerves. I'm sure I don't have to bore you with what's it like learning the muscles and nerves of the body. However, I feel overwhelmed. Can someone please shed some light on this.

 

[Stinger86]

Hmm.

First of all, how important is your grade to you? Do you absolutely have to make an A, or will a B suffice? Or even a C? Many courses are certainly more difficult for some and less difficult for others, so you need to recognize your own limitations and decide on just what kind of result you'll accept. There is a freakin' ton of information to learn in anatomy, but you'd be surprised to hear just how little gross anatomy (relative to the entire courseload of information) you actually have to know for your boards and wards.

So, for the long term, don't sweat not understanding every single thing there is to know about gross anatomy. But, for the short term, just do the best you can do. It sounds like you're doing well with your method of starting with bones, adding muscles, then nerves, etc. Have you tried reading through BRS Gross Anatomy? It's kinda long and thick, but it's not nearly as bad as Moore's anatomy bible. Plus, it's very organized and can help guide you in "building" the anatomy of the human body in your mind. If you can get to where you can picture the anatomy in 3D in your head, things will progress much more smoothly. Good luck!

 

[Kalel]

I agree, I wouldn't worry about knowing anatomy in the long term unless you go into certain specialties that will re-teach you anatomy that is clinically pertinent to their specialty (eg pathology, radiology, surgery, etc). It's not very important for the USMLE (you could score pretty well if you knew 0% of anatomy but you did well on all of the other sections), and you won't be expected to remember most of it by the time that you hit your clinical years. In terms of learning it now, I'd reccomend playing around with whatever models they have available for you to play around with. Sometimes it helps to point out structures on the perfectly structured models before trying to memorize where they are in your hacked up cadaver.

 

[Jasminegab]

Thanks all I can rest now. I thought I would have to be a walking encyclopedia of gross anatomy.

By the way, my school does not do cadavers (thank god). I couldn't see myself hacking away at someone who once walked this earth. We do however, disection labs online and those are real cadavers. 🙄

But thanks, I now know how to study for gross anatomy.

 

[Jasminegab]

O...I forgot to say that I'm using Moore's textbook, NMS Clinical Anatomy (This book is a God send-makes everything so clear and to the point and does it in regions rather than skiping over the regions and going over everything by section. It puts everything in the same section so when you learn about the Upper extermities, you learn about the bones, muscles, nervers, vasculature and clinical situations.). I must have like 5 different books for anatomy alone. It's not hard it's just finding the right book that helps me to get it all in so that I have a vivid picture in my mind when I hear it spoken. Again the NMS series book does just fine in helping to picture what I learn. That and Netters. I just open my NMS and Netters and start studying. I don't even bother with Moore anymore. I also have Appleton and Lange outline review USMLE step 1 outline review book (This book is too brief and does not help me in studying, but it may come Step 1 time.).

Well I got to go to bed.

Thanks,

 

[oudoc08]

BTW, why are you class of 2008 but MS1? 5 year MD/PHD or MD/MPH?
Another thought, though unsubstantiated by personal experience is, perhaps the lack of cadaver instruction has omitted an important facet of your learning style, and thus making it much harder for you than someone who is actually able to hold a real human liver and see in all manners of perception, exactly how it fits and functions in the body.
It doesn't seem to me that models and videos could ever fill those shoes.
Any thoughts?

 

[Jasminegab]

BTW, why are you class of 2008 but MS1? 5 year MD/PHD or MD/MPH?
Another thought, though unsubstantiated by personal experience is, perhaps the lack of cadaver instruction has omitted an important facet of your learning style, and thus making it much harder for you than someone who is actually able to hold a real human liver and see in all manners of perception, exactly how it fits and functions in the body.
It doesn't seem to me that models and videos could ever fill those shoes.
Any thoughts?

Actually I'm in a BS/MD program. I was originally accepted into 6 1/2 year program but since I already have 90+ credits the school advanced me to not have to go back and take credits I already completed.

As far as cadavers are concerned, perhaps I may miss out on the actual feeling of holding bones, muscles, arteries in my hand, however, there is alot of debate about the use of cadavers vs. non-cadaver learning.

 

[Stinger86]

BTW, why are you class of 2008 but MS1? 5 year MD/PHD or MD/MPH?
Another thought, though unsubstantiated by personal experience is, perhaps the lack of cadaver instruction has omitted an important facet of your learning style, and thus making it much harder for you than someone who is actually able to hold a real human liver and see in all manners of perception, exactly how it fits and functions in the body.
It doesn't seem to me that models and videos could ever fill those shoes.
Any thoughts?

As frustrating as cadaveric dissection can sometimes be, I really think it's crucial to see things and handle them in person. As Kalel suggested, if you have access to some good 3D models, be sure to use them. They might be a good substitute tool for not having real bodies to work on.


Oh, and try to get a copy of BRS Gross Anatomy (from the library if you don't want to buy it) and see if you like it. You might find it more useful than the books you have now. Hope it helps!

 

[sdude]

Since it seems you do computer anatomy, don't you have on-line quizzes that will simulate a practical exam? I have found that sort of thing very helpful, and it doesn't take as much initiative as some other forms of studying.

I find making my own anatomical drawings and labeling them is the best way to learn.

In my experience, most Dr's do forget most of their anatomy, which I think is a shame, just because it is an interesting subject IMO.

I'm looking at schools now, and I'm leaning towards curriculums with real cadavers (I like dissection) and organ-system blocks that spread out the work over most of the year. The traditional curriculum (gross in one semester) looks like a pointless cram-fest to me--(40 min on the shoulder? Heart one day and guts the next? Give me a break!)--I'm not surprised that people's retention isn't very good.

Don't stress out!

 

[Jasminegab]

Since it seems you do computer anatomy, don't you have on-line quizzes that will simulate a practical exam? I have found that sort of thing very helpful, and it doesn't take as much initiative as some other forms of studying.

I find making my own anatomical drawings and labeling them is the best way to learn.

In my experience, most Dr's do forget most of their anatomy, which I think is a shame, just because it is an interesting subject IMO.

I'm looking at schools now, and I'm leaning towards curriculums with real cadavers (I like dissection) and organ-system blocks that spread out the work over most of the year. The traditional curriculum (gross in one semester) looks like a pointless cram-fest to me--(40 min on the shoulder? Heart one day and guts the next? Give me a break!)--I'm not surprised that people's retention isn't very good.

Don't stress out!

Thanks for your reply. No we don't do simulated test before the exam. Your to study exactly the region which is covered for that week and your to learn the muscles, articulations, arteries, nerves and vasculature so when time comes for the exam, you can answer case studies that deal with that region. You never know exactly what region they will ask about. It could be a mid-humeral fracture question dealing with nerves or it could be a case study on a patient who presents with tingling and numbness in the hand with atrophy of the hypothenar. You must know your anatomy in order to answer these kinds of question.

Anatomy isn't boring to me and I love it, it's just so much information to learn in such a short amount of time. A year or spaced out over 2years is not, IMHO, enough time to learn all there is to know about anatomy. I guess that why they say it all wont make sense until you actually completed your 2yrs and start clinicals.

 

[sdude]

That would stress me out too. Case studies are great, but if I'm studying anatomy I'd really like to be tested *on anatomy* so I can focus on learning the subject solidly and know I'll get credit for it. JMO

 

[pikachu]

"Another thought, though unsubstantiated by personal experience is, perhaps the lack of cadaver instruction has omitted an important facet of your learning style, and thus making it much harder for you than someone who is actually able to hold a real human liver and see in all manners of perception, exactly how it fits and functions in the body.
Any thoughts?"

To me there has been no subsitute for the cadaver dissection, as "gross" as that sounds. (Sorry, couldn't resist) I didn't even do that well in anatomy and yet as I move into clinical years I remember the structures from the cadaver much more than stuff from the anatomy text or computer simulated dissections. I HATED cadaver lab but I think that it was a certain experience with mortality, a subject we can't really be squeamish about. It's not just about the physical feeling of holding the structures; by dissecting the cadaver you are participating in a medical tradition of inquiring into the human physique and physiology. And it forces you to deal with your own feelings about death. As doctors we are all just postponing the inevitable and nothing makes you realize that more than dissecting the artifical mitral valve (or whatever) out of "your" body.

 

[nykka3]

Thanks for your reply. No we don't do simulated test before the exam. Your to study exactly the region which is covered for that week and your to learn the muscles, articulations, arteries, nerves and vasculature so when time comes for the exam, you can answer case studies that deal with that region. You never know exactly what region they will ask about. It could be a mid-humeral fracture question dealing with nerves or it could be a case study on a patient who presents with tingling and numbness in the hand with atrophy of the hypothenar. You must know your anatomy in order to answer these kinds of question.

Anatomy isn't boring to me and I love it, it's just so much information to learn in such a short amount of time. A year or spaced out over 2years is not, IMHO, enough time to learn all there is to know about anatomy. I guess that why they say it all wont make sense until you actually completed your 2yrs and start clinicals.

Where is St.Luke's School of Medicine?

 

[Jasminegab]

Where is St.Luke's School of Medicine?

St.Luke university school of medicine is located Liberia/Ghana.

Again. There is such a debate about cadaver use that I rather not get into it on this forum. Some of you have used cadavers and stand by tradition and others have never touched a cadaver. As far as it being invaluable to medical education, that's still a debate and I rather stay away from that.