Anatomy or Physiology?

[folkperson]

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I'm deciding between a lab & lecture-based human anatomy class and a lecture-based physiology class for next year. Both classes are well-taught, and unfortunately, I can only take one. I'd appreciate any input as to which might be more useful for med school.

Thanks all, and happy new year!

 

[emquiksilver]

I doubt either will be useful since the depth of the subject in med school will be light years beyond your college level courses. But I'm sure physiology will be more fun and interesting, unless you like memorizing stuff.

 

[87138]

I doubt neither will be useful

I don't think you realize what you just said . . .

 

[lacrossefiend73]

I'm probably biased since I TA for it, but I'd pick Physiology. At my undergrad, most pre-meds take Phys and don't take Anatomy, FWIW.

 

[RugbyJC]

I'm deciding between a lab & lecture-based human anatomy class and a lecture-based physiology class for next year. Both classes are well-taught, and unfortunately, I can only take one. I'd appreciate any input as to which might be more useful for med school.

I'd go with physio. more of a foundation for other classes in medical school and higher yield on board exams. Anatomy is more straight forward and based on memorization, while physio requires a different type of thinking that is not always understood the first time around...at least in my opinion.

I would also recommend taking a cool, non-science related class. Something else you are interested in and want to learn more about. You might not get a chance to do something like that after you graduate.

 

[diosa428]

Anatomy is pure memorization. Physiology involves a lot of conceptual understanding. I'd pick physio.

 

[neuro1617]

I loved anatomy but I'd pick phys b/c it's more conceptual & is covered on the MCAT. But 99% of the people on here will tell you neither will help whatsoever b/c it cannot begin to teach you even the tip of the iceburg of what you'll learn in med school. And that you should go take some completely boring humanities history or literature course while you still have time to learn what you actually are interested in. B/c I guess for some reason we're going to medical school b/c we're not interested in classes like physiology...? Anyway I think it'll help you to be familiar with terms & prefixes you'll encounter again in med school & it always helps to hear something twice.

 

[neuro1617]

Ohh and I knew that before I even read Rugby's post. Sorry, they've already began....

 

[enigma85]

Take whichever one you're more likely to get an A in.

If they will be about the same degree of difficulty and you haven't taken the MCAT, as someone said earlier, take Physio b/c it will be much more helpful. My physio class was excellent preparation for lots of the bio material on the MCAT.

 

[TheRealMD]

Physio. Anatomy is stuff you only want to deal with once as a class.

 

[braintrust]

It's a shame that the Physiology course doesn't have the lab aspect. I gound it very helpful when I was learning it to have actual experience and applications of the stuff in the book. As a TA for Medical anatomy and undergraduate physiology (also undergrad biochem but that is irrelevant to this) I agree that the physiology class is the best pick. It will give you some principles to bring together the other sciences and give you a story for what goes on in the body. Also The MCAT, if you haven't taken it yet, is becoming increasingly physiological in the biology section and it helps regardless to have some experience with the organ systems. As for prep for med school, I am of the beleif that preparation is good and will allow you to study a little less to master the phys if you have been exposed to it previously (and even can allow you to focus more study time on your self-described week areas)

Go for phys, anatomy is better anyway when you have a cadaver in front of you.

 

[folkperson]

Thanks everyone for your responses! The anatomy class uses cadavers, but doesn't cover head and neck. I've already taken the MCAT, so I'm taking the anatomy or phys class just to get some exposure.

Based on your input, I think I'm leaning toward the physiology class. Thanks!

 

[TMP-SMX]

Physiology is far more helpful. I did also have a physiology lab and that was kind of fun. It makes things a bit more real.

Although your anatomy lab looks a bit better without doing head and neck. 😛

But honestly, take what you can get an A in. If anything you can take a non-science you have interest in too.

 

[RySerr21]

But 99% of the people on here will tell you neither will help whatsoever b/c it cannot begin to teach you even the tip of the iceburg of what you'll learn in med school. And that you should go take some completely boring humanities history or literature course while you still have time to learn what you actually are interested in. B/c I guess for some reason we're going to medical school b/c we're not interested in classes like physiology...? Anyway I think it'll help you to be familiar with terms & prefixes you'll encounter again in med school & it always helps to hear something twice.

thankkkkkkkkkkkk you for finally saying what i have thought every time i read one of those stupid posts. i thought i was the only one.

oh and i took both anatomy and physiology last semester and loved them both. but studying for mcats now having physiology is a huge advantage. more likely to see a conceptual physiology question compared to a straight memorization question from anatomy

 

[custard]

Hmmm I have the same question - anatomy with a cadaver based lab or physiology with no lab (and physio is at 730 in the morning eek!). I'm planning on taking one or the other pass/fail. I'm starting med school in the fall.

 

[ArchiMed]

I vote for physiology!

 

[Mobius1985]

Hmmm I have the same question - anatomy with a cadaver based lab or physiology with no lab (and physio is at 730 in the morning eek!). I'm planning on taking one or the other pass/fail. I'm starting med school in the fall.

Painfully early Physiology without the lab is still the best choice in your situation. Getting a lot of concepts down now will give you a good framework for attaching the more detailed information in med school. I save a lot of study time for other things because of this.

 

[SketchLazy]

I'm deciding between a lab & lecture-based human anatomy class and a lecture-based physiology class for next year. Both classes are well-taught, and unfortunately, I can only take one. I'd appreciate any input as to which might be more useful for med school.

Thanks all, and happy new year!

Some med schools actually discourage taking A&P because you'll be taking it over again once you get there. Physiology goes a long way in preparing you for the MCAT though.

 

[Perrotfish]

I´ve seen people who took Anatomy with lab in undergrad in medical school Anatomy lab, they seemed to have a significanlty easier time with it compared to their classmates. Oddly enough the ones who took Anatomy without lab seemed to have no advantage whatsoever. Definitely not a waste of time to take Anatomy with lab in Undergrad.

No idea which course is more useful, though.

 

[pinkpanther88]

How can med schools hold taking A&P against you? It is a required course for my major (Kinesiology). I release that an undergrad class only skims the surface for med-school, but I wouldn't consider majoring in something that I like less to avoid the A&P requirement.

 

[mvenus929]

Some med schools actually discourage taking A&P because you'll be taking it over again once you get there. Physiology goes a long way in preparing you for the MCAT though.

Anatomy and Physiology as separate, upper-division bio classes are completely different from A&P. They're structured differently, and often taught by different professors (the anatomy professor is the same at my school, but the physiology professor, at least last year, didn't do A&P), and often aimed at different groups.

I took physiology last year (with a computer lab component), and I loved it. It helps bring together all the other science classes you've taken, gives foundations for some more of them (helped me out in biochem, at least). It gives you a very broad view of how the human body works, and is information you're more likely to retain going into medical school (because anatomy is memorization and physiology is about understanding concepts). So, I throw my vote in physiology as well.

And Perrotfish, I've also heard the converse... that people who took anatomy with cadaver lab in undergrad did worse in medical school, because they figured they already knew some of it, and so didn't study as hard as those who had not taken it prior. I've also heard from people who have taken it say that it didn't help a bit, or helped only a very little, to the point where it didn't really give a leg up.

 

[Maxprime]

MCAT covers physio - hence, take physio. MCAT doesn't cover anatomy - hence, don't take anatomy.

 

[Lokhtar]

Thankfully, the post-bac I am taking has Physiology as the second bio course, and I've heard its very valuable, as well as interesting.

 

[scholj]

Anatomy is pure memorization. Physiology involves a lot of conceptual understanding. I'd pick physio.

I second this. Anatomy was pure memorization. Physio... well... it's more understanding. Getting a basic understanding of physiology, in my opinion, will be far more helpful than being able to name the branches off the celiac trunk before anyone else in your med school class. At least you'll have a foundation to build off of, even if your physio isn't as in depth as a med school class.

 

[antamago]

Physiology...hands down!