Anatomy preparation

[Friendly MichaelMyers]

Hello.
I heard from med school students that preparing for anatomy ahead of the class makes the class easier. I have never taken anatomy and I am wondering how I could best prepare for it.

I decided to memorize as much as I can from the atlas. I looked at the atlas and then closed the book. I know that understanding is better than memorization, but how do I go about that? Any tips will be appreciated.

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[907914]

This used in conjungtion with the textbook may be helpful:

Human Anatomy and Disease in Interactive 3D | BioDigital Human Platform

 

[coffeebythelake]

Hello.
I heard from med school students that preparing for anatomy ahead of the class makes the class easier. I have never taken anatomy and I am wondering how I could best prepare for it.

I decided to memorize as much as I can from the atlas. I looked at the atlas and then closed the book. I know that understanding is better than memorization, but how do I go about that? Any tips will be appreciated.

you will never remember it all.
broad strokes.
buy a copy of Netter

 

[gyngyn]

Don't do this.
This is your last chance to do something entirely unrelated to medicine.
Learn to cook, speak Spanish, manage your finances, meditate...anything else.

 

[AllBleedingStops]

I heard from med school students that preparing for anatomy ahead of the class makes the class easier.

The med students you spoke to are jerks. The only thing I would say is even reasonable to do to prepare is just look at the popular atlases (LITERALLY look at them, don't study) and see which one you prefer stylistically. Most popular is probably Netter. Thieme is another nice option. One that a lot of 1st year med students don't seem to know about is Rohen's which has well-dissected cadaver images, closer to what you find in lab. Grant's and Gray's are others. I personally do not like the last two options though. Feel free to buy the one you like best. Don't pre-study. You have no idea how and all of your pre-studying will be blown past in the first 2 days.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Agree with @gyngyn . If you cant control your anxiety, take an anatomy course over the summer at a local university. It will be a watered down version of med school, which will include all of Gross anatomy, plus embryology and histology. A warning, if you dont get an A, your anxiety will get worse rather than better. Enjoy your time off and do something non medical. You will be studying medicine until you retire or die.

 

[Friendly MichaelMyers]

The med students you spoke to are jerks. The only thing I would say is even reasonable to do to prepare is just look at the popular atlases (LITERALLY look at them, don't study) and see which one you prefer stylistically. Most popular is probably Netter. Thieme is another nice option. One that a lot of 1st year med students don't seem to know about is Rohen's which has well-dissected cadaver images, closer to what you find in lab. Grant's and Gray's are others. I personally do not like the last two options though. Feel free to buy the one you like best. Don't pre-study. You have no idea how and all of your pre-studying will be blown past in the first 2 days.

Thank you for the book suggestions. Will keep in mind to use those during med school.

 

[Friendly MichaelMyers]

Thank you everyone for your tips. I will make sure to enjoy my time off and keep my pre-studying to a minimal.

 

[Dral]

Yah, don't study ahead of time. What I would do in preparation is try to think about and understand what type of learner you are. Attacking course work in this way is more efficient. I for instance am a very visual learner. Anatomy came easy to me, but pharm was a different story. I had to attach visual cues (like using many colored highlighters to make visual connections on tables of the meds) to be able to remember the material.

Those who are more abstract thinkers and processors will probably have an easier time with pharm, but not as easy of a time with anatomy.

Think about your strengths and weaknesses and just be prepared to study accordingly. Otherwise, enjoy your time before the deluge begins.

If you want to do something useful for self improvement, participate in your local toastmasters or something...it's way down the road for you, but it can really help you become a good interviewer when it comes time for residency position/job.