Best way to study gross anatomy?

[suds945]

So, when I start medical school in July, we have to study sixteen weeks' worth of anatomy in eight weeks (due to class size increase and not having enough space in anatomy lab for the fall, so they split the class up...some of us take it in the summer, and some of us take it in the fall). Thankfully, it's our only class.

Any suggestions on the best ways to study gross, and maybe how much studying I need to do per day and/or how much time I need to spend in lab given this accelerated schedule?

Thanks.

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[Jedix123]

My stab at it is, since everyone is in the same boat don't worry too much about it. You'll probably be eating, sleeping and breathing anatomy but you'll survive.

 

[JonnyG]

u really have to figure it out for yourself. If you don't figure out how you study best and use someone elses technique you may just screw yourself.

 

[beponychick]

I actually wouldnt mind hearing peoples suggestions as well. Anyone have ways that helped them survive anatomy?

 

[M. Platini]

In these blocks where you only do one class at a time, you end up covering a good amount of stuff each day. At first it will be interesting as you have time to really learn the area that you are dissecting for the given day.....but soon you'll notice how the next morning the class begins a total different area of the body with totally new stuff to learn.

Day to day, and in those few days leading up to the exams, you might feel nervous over whether you'll remember all of the stuff you covered in just the last two weeks or so. It helped me to, after a given day, be clear on what I'm going to need to know by heart for the exam. Identify that material, and at the end of the day test yourself and be sure that you know it by testing yourself or making flashcards or whatever.

You can't just read this stuff once as the class goes through it and then once again leading up to the exam like you did for physiology type courses, with anatomy an "understanding" doesnt get you as far as just knowing a lot of stuff by heart.

M.P.

 

[peppy]

Hey, welcome to MSUCOM!
Everyone is different in how much they need to study so I can't say how much time you'll need to put in. Personally, I found that with how quickly the class went, I didn't have much time for review - it was hard enough just trying not to fall behind (and you *definitely* don't want to fall behind!).
My strategy was basically to do one quick run-through, identifying the stuff that requires a lot of sheer repetition to get into your head (like the areas of referred pain, dermatomes, cranial nerves, etc.) and then focus on repeating those details a little bit each day.

For the practical lab exams, I made sure I saw everything at least once in the lab during the normal lab hours (since it sometimes looks different in real bodies than it does in the books), then I would go home and use the Netter and Rohen atlases to drive it into my head. FOr me personally, the books were more efficient than spending a lot of time in lab...but again, everyone is different, so you'll have to do a bit of experimentation to figure out what works for you.
Some specific MSUCOM advice: If you feel like you're struggling, make sure you talk to Dr. Bice. She was a tremendous help to us last summer. If she runs any review sessions, definitely go to them - they were great for helping identify the high yield info.
Best of luck to you!

 

[Ezekiel20]

This how I do it.

I use two books, plus a few other resources:

Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy
- best pictorial anatomy you will find

Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy
- sometimes more detail than you really need, but nevertheless a good text

Lab notes
- provides short, succint summaries

Acland's DVD Atlas of Human Anatomy
- the BEST EVER anatomy resource I've found so far. I borrowed one of the six DVDs from the library, and liked it so much that I bought the whole set (from ebay, for US$125). It is basically a dissection video, but it uses fresh, unenbalmed specimens, and comprehensively covers each topic. The cameras often rotate around the specimens to provide 3D-like view, and listening to the narrative and seeing it in front of you really makes it stick in your mind. If I ever become a surgeon, it'll be thanks to this DVD series. It's boosted my confidence in anatomy that much.

 

[SLPI]

forget Moore's Clinically orientated anatomy, or gray's or any of the other BIG TEXTS they recommend. In 6 weeks you are NOT going to be able to even dent them.

get a good atlas - netter or rohan's or both
get the netters flash cards if you like them.
maybe check out a decent dissector - grants was pretty decent.

remember whatever they emphasis in notes and lectures not the big texts.

 

[oompa loompa]

i have a peripherally related question. Seeing as how anatomy is fast-paced and seems to require a ton of memorization (which I'm horrible at) would it be a bad idea to also take dance and music lessons (probably 3-4 hours a week) during your first semester at med school? I was pretty set on keeping a "balanced" lifestyle in med school, but it's not worth it if it means failing anatomy, right? Keep in mind that I'd also be going to the gym probably for 5 hours a week, and just hanging out/getting to know my classmates, another 2-3 hours a week....gosh, it seems like I'm wasting valuable memorization time? How do you all do it?!!

I'd greatly appreciate any input b/c if I'm taking these music/dance lessons, I gotta register for them as soon as I arrive on campus...

 

[njbmd]

So, when I start medical school in July, we have to study sixteen weeks' worth of anatomy in eight weeks (due to class size increase and not having enough space in anatomy lab for the fall, so they split the class up...some of us take it in the summer, and some of us take it in the fall). Thankfully, it's our only class.

Any suggestions on the best ways to study gross, and maybe how much studying I need to do per day and/or how much time I need to spend in lab given this accelerated schedule?

Thanks.

Hi there,
Here is how I studied Gross Anatomy and honored the course:

1. Once you get your syllabus, figure out how much you have to cover per night and get the job done. Preview for tomorrow's lecture & lab, review your atlas as you are studying and make a list of structures (copied from your dissector) that you have to find in the lab. For lecture: Preview, listen to lecture, review and study then preview next day's material etc.

2. Our text was Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy but I studied, read and learned Baby Moore, the abbreviated version of the big text. I read every Blue box in Big Moore but I knew Baby Moore cold.

3. Keep up! If you find that you have fallen behind, let it go and catch up on the weekend. Stay with your class.

4. As you study in the evening, again, keep the atlas handy and look at the atlas as you study your notes. Review the week's info on the weekend both lab and lecture. My other trick was to photocopy plates from Netter and color them with colored pencils for things like the cervical, brachial and lumbar plexi.

5. Look at every cadaver (with the permission of its owner) in the lab on a regular basis. About a week before the lab practical, take five or six of your buddies and ask one of the instructors to drill you. Ask them to be brutal. Take notes!

6. I used Grant's dissector & Netter's atlas. I used the reserve copy of Rohen to get an idea of the size of certain structures but Netter and Grant's Dissector were my main study tools. I also had a book of cross sectional anatomy (called Cross-Sectional Anatomy) that I used to study cross sectional structures.

7. Finish all dissections. We assigned folks outside of lab time to complete the dissections (on both sides) and teach the group. Practically, it takes two people to dissect; one to expose structures and one to guide them. The rest of us reviewed as they worked.

8. Review on your own after hours on a regular basis. Don't wait until just before the exam to do this. In Gross Anatomy, you cannot review too much.

9. Finally, use a skeleton to review the origins and insertions of muscles. This will greatly help you get your bearings during a lab practical.

10. You will get used to the pace and become very efficient as you go. As you dissect you learn things like use scissors more than the scalpel. Clean fat very carefully because you can destroy nerves if you are too aggressive. You learn to recognize fascial planes and follow them. You will not be able to get rid of the formaldehyde smell so learn to live with it. Tie off the bowel before you cut or your will have fecal material everywhere. Don't let anything dry out. Keep things covered with formaldhyde-soaked paper towels. Be nice to the deiner because this person can help you keep your body in great shape.

Enjoy!

njbmd

 

[beponychick]

This how I do it.

I use two books, plus a few other resources:

Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy
- best pictorial anatomy you will find

Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy
- sometimes more detail than you really need, but nevertheless a good text

Lab notes
- provides short, succint summaries

Acland's DVD Atlas of Human Anatomy
- the BEST EVER anatomy resource I've found so far. I borrowed one of the six DVDs from the library, and liked it so much that I bought the whole set (from ebay, for US$125). It is basically a dissection video, but it uses fresh, unenbalmed specimens, and comprehensively covers each topic. The cameras often rotate around the specimens to provide 3D-like view, and listening to the narrative and seeing it in front of you really makes it stick in your mind. If I ever become a surgeon, it'll be thanks to this DVD series. It's boosted my confidence in anatomy that much.

Hey, thanks for the DVD atlas advice.

I actually bought the whole set and glanced at a few DVDs. When do you recommend viewing the videos. Before lecture? After the dissection?

Thanks!!!

 

[Dr Jboo]

Here was my study plan FWIW:
1. I used Netter's and Rohen mainly and then read the blue boxes in Moore a couple days before the test
2. Draw out all the branches of arteries, nerves etc and label under each branch what it supplies
3. A day or two before the test I would quiz myself with Rohens (the way the pictures are numbered makes this very easy)
4. Throughout the course, every day after lecture or lab, write down every structure that they mention in class and find a 4-5 word summary for the key identifier for that object. As you get into anatomy you will realize that each vessel, nerve, muscle has its own landmark identifier and in the practical they will only show you a clearly identifiable landmark. Ex: You should know that the alveolar nerve always dives into the mandible (i hope thats right its been a while I found that this worked every time and I never missed more than 2 items on each practical. It takes some time to do, I think my lists ended up being 15-20 pgs long but going through and finding each "landmark" really helps you learn the info. This also made it so I never had to spend any extra time in lab. You can pretty much figure out the landmark by going through the book and I think this is the best way to do it considering all of the bodies look so different.

I hope all my ramblings make sense, good luck and enjoy anatomy!

 

[Ezekiel20]

Hey, thanks for the DVD atlas advice.

I actually bought the whole set and glanced at a few DVDs. When do you recommend viewing the videos. Before lecture? After the dissection?

Thanks!!!

I watch the DVD with the Netter atlas in my lap, and constantly compare what I see on the DVD with the excellent Netter drawings. I use it whenever I am sick of looking at 2D drawings and need some idea of the real anatomy from cadavers.

In short, it's like having 24/7 acess to the anatomy lab, except that the specimens in the DVD are fresh and in living color, unlike the dull gray color of the old prosected specimens in labs.

The DVD won't have every detail you need to know, but it definately aids the transition between the real body and the drawings in atlases. The visual impact of the DVD (in which the prosector presents various views and moves the parts) persists for much longer than having looked at a picture in the Atlas.

 

[francisdoss]

[Great advice...
Thanks

 

[oompa loompa]

forget Moore's Clinically orientated anatomy, or gray's or any of the other BIG TEXTS they recommend. In 6 weeks you are NOT going to be able to even dent them.

get a good atlas - netter or rohan's or both
get the netters flash cards if you like them.
maybe check out a decent dissector - grants was pretty decent.

remember whatever they emphasis in notes and lectures not the big texts.

what's a dissector? like a DVD or something?

 

[jllander]

what's a dissector? like a DVD or something?

A dissector is a book that takes you through the actual dissection, step-by-step.

 

[ADDchild]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is to try to make associations. For instance all flexor muscles are inervated by certain nerves and all extensors by certain nerves(with the rare exception). Also origin points for example all wrist flexors originate on the medial epicondyle and all extensors on the lateral one(with rare exceptions). Don't get in the habit of memorizing one to one relationships : . Also clinical anatomy really test if you can make associations. For instance they will ask: you are passing a flex bronchoscope down the right mainstem bronchi and you pierce the posterior wall after which blood fill the field, what major vessel did you pierce?(azygos just so you dont have to look it up) That's the same type of questions you will be asked on Step1 and it will be useful in MS2. That said you will still have to memorize a lot for instance you need to know the names of the flexors and the extensors, blood vessels and nerves, etc....

Good Luck

 

[peppy]

i have a peripherally related question. Seeing as how anatomy is fast-paced and seems to require a ton of memorization (which I'm horrible at) would it be a bad idea to also take dance and music lessons (probably 3-4 hours a week) during your first semester at med school?

I would strongly suggest not taking on any extra commitments during your first semester. If you're like most people, you'll probably feel overwhelmed by the adjustment to the rapid pace of med school and I really doubt you'd enjoy having anything extra to worry about.
I definitely wouldn't have been able to handle taking any extracurricular classes during my first semester. Music lessons might be feasible during second semester...once you've adjusted and learned how to study efficiently, you'll have more free time.
Good luck.

 

[ForbiddenComma]

For me, this class was a beast. An absolute beast.

The problem wasn't the written part, necessarily. It was the damn cadavers, rising from the grave to torment me with their fill-in-the-blank questions. Why oh why couldn't the practical be multiple choice??

If your gross teachers are as evil as mine were, the usual rules such as "figure out where you are, then go from there" and "follow the object to its origin and/or insertion" just aren't valid. They loved, and I mean LOVED to tag nerves that pop up briefly between two muscles before diving down again -- good luck following that thing to its root. (they don't allow touching.)

A far worse trick is to tag nerves and arteries that are barely even mentioned during lecture and normal dissection. This should be your rule of thumb:

The more obscure and irrelevant the nerve or artery is, the more likely it will be tagged.

Special attention should be paid if a given item shows up on your written checklist, but is not even mentioned once in class. That is a virtual guarantee it will show up on the cadaver part... and likely on the written part as well.

Finally, to study the cadavers, you NEED a study partner, more than any other part of the M1 year. Going in alone is a waste of time. Flatter, pay, or sleep with whomever you need to in order to get them to help you. I can't stress this point enough: you need as much assisted time as you can get in the lab if you are like me and hate gross.



(in case you could not tell, this class was not a very happy time for me. )

 

[joe6102]

For me, this class was a beast. An absolute beast.

The problem wasn't the written part, necessarily. It was the damn cadavers, rising from the grave to torment me with their fill-in-the-blank questions. Why oh why couldn't the practical be multiple choice??

If your gross teachers are as evil as mine were, the usual rules such as "figure out where you are, then go from there" and "follow the object to its origin and/or insertion" just aren't valid. They loved, and I mean LOVED to tag nerves that pop up briefly between two muscles before diving down again -- good luck following that thing to its root. (they don't allow touching.)

A far worse trick is to tag nerves and arteries that are barely even mentioned during lecture and normal dissection. This should be your rule of thumb:

The more obscure and irrelevant the nerve or artery is, the more likely it will be tagged.

Special attention should be paid if a given item shows up on your written checklist, but is not even mentioned once in class. That is a virtual guarantee it will show up on the cadaver part... and likely on the written part as well.

Finally, to study the cadavers, you NEED a study partner, more than any other part of the M1 year. Going in alone is a waste of time. Flatter, pay, or sleep with whomever you need to in order to get them to help you. I can't stress this point enough: you need as much assisted time as you can get in the lab if you are like me and hate gross.



(in case you could not tell, this class was not a very happy time for me. )

I was the guy who aced the written exams but failed the practicals. Basically, for the written exams, do a ton of practice questions after studying (BRS was great for this). Written exams are all about relationships, and staring at an atlas isn't going to help you nearly as much as doing practice questions (which will help for the shelf exam and step 1). For instance, no matter how much time you spend in the lab, you won't know which muscle abducts the vocal folds unless you read it in a book.

As for the practicals, I still have no idea how to do well.

 

[Ambs]

For practicals -

STARE at Netter plates, and not just memorize them, but really notice the relationships between structures, as in what artery or nerve is traversing what muscle or organ. It is amazingly accurate. Some Netter plates are priceless.

If your instructors hold lab review sessions, GO TO THEM. Follow them around as they're reviewing, as they'll review the high yield/most frequently tagged structures... and ask them to drill you (if they have the time)... Before dissection, preview the dissection by studying lecture notes/syllabus side by side with Netter, i.e. have a very good idea of what you're going to be dissecting as you go in.

 

[UCLAstudent]

Special attention should be paid if a given item shows up on your written checklist, but is not even mentioned once in class. That is a virtual guarantee it will show up on the cadaver part... and likely on the written part as well.

This is so true.

 

[funshine]

er, is anyone else really worried about being too slow to learn everything in anatomy? I mean, all those nerves! and blood vessels, muscles, joints, and a million other things. I can foresee myself learning like 1/3 of the info, not having time to even go through practice questions, and just failing. How do you stay on top of everything? Are there short-cuts for us slow folks?

and oompa loompa, I hear ya on wanting to keep your non-medical interests. I'm hoping to do some combination of music and dance as well. I figure I waste more than 4-5 hours a week just spacing out, so I might as well use the time to do something I enjoy. Of course, it could be that I NEED those 4-5 hours of spacing out time. We'll see.

 

[eralza]

For the practical section here are some suggestions:
- Preview the material you will be covering during the lab. Use Netters, Rohan, and/or the U Mich website to get a good overview of what structures "should" look like.
- Make connections as you isolate structures. Make sure that you know the surrounding structures, the insertions, the origins, the innervation, and the function.
- Teach your cadaver to other classmates. Do Not be shy about this! When you are doing the heart, grab an unsuspecting passerby and teach them everything you know about the heart. Then ask them to teach it to you. At first, they may pull away, but persistance will wear them down.
- Repeat, repeat, repeat. Once you are dreaming about structures, go over it a few more times.

When you are taking the practical exams, step about a meter back from the cadaver to figure out where in the hell you are. Is that the foot immediately to the right of the tagged structure? If so, then the tagged structure probably isn't the psoas.
Once you have figured out a few landmarks, move in for a closer look.

 

[outofhere]

For the practicals, I memorized Grant's Dissector- and I did really well on the orals. (I could nearly recite Grant's Dissector the day of the oral...and promptly gave it all back to Dr. Grant...) For the written, I memorized BRS. I never even opened Moore- just didn't have time.

 

[SoCuteMD]

Hi there,
Here is how I studied Gross Anatomy and honored the course:

1. Once you get your syllabus, figure out how much you have to cover per night and get the job done. Preview for tomorrow's lecture & lab, review your atlas as you are studying and make a list of structures (copied from your dissector) that you have to find in the lab. For lecture: Preview, listen to lecture, review and study then preview next day's material etc.

2. Our text was Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy but I studied, read and learned Baby Moore, the abbreviated version of the big text. I read every Blue box in Big Moore but I knew Baby Moore cold.

3. Keep up! If you find that you have fallen behind, let it go and catch up on the weekend. Stay with your class.

4. As you study in the evening, again, keep the atlas handy and look at the atlas as you study your notes. Review the week's info on the weekend both lab and lecture. My other trick was to photocopy plates from Netter and color them with colored pencils for things like the cervical, brachial and lumbar plexi.

5. Look at every cadaver (with the permission of its owner) in the lab on a regular basis. About a week before the lab practical, take five or six of your buddies and ask one of the instructors to drill you. Ask them to be brutal. Take notes!

6. I used Grant's dissector & Netter's atlas. I used the reserve copy of Rohen to get an idea of the size of certain structures but Netter and Grant's Dissector were my main study tools. I also had a book of cross sectional anatomy (called Cross-Sectional Anatomy) that I used to study cross sectional structures.

7. Finish all dissections. We assigned folks outside of lab time to complete the dissections (on both sides) and teach the group. Practically, it takes two people to dissect; one to expose structures and one to guide them. The rest of us reviewed as they worked.

8. Review on your own after hours on a regular basis. Don't wait until just before the exam to do this. In Gross Anatomy, you cannot review too much.

9. Finally, use a skeleton to review the origins and insertions of muscles. This will greatly help you get your bearings during a lab practical.

10. You will get used to the pace and become very efficient as you go. As you dissect you learn things like use scissors more than the scalpel. Clean fat very carefully because you can destroy nerves if you are too aggressive. You learn to recognize fascial planes and follow them. You will not be able to get rid of the formaldehyde smell so learn to live with it. Tie off the bowel before you cut or your will have fecal material everywhere. Don't let anything dry out. Keep things covered with formaldhyde-soaked paper towels. Be nice to the deiner because this person can help you keep your body in great shape.

Enjoy!

njbmd

Best advice on this thread.

-An incoming MS2 (who didn't honor anatomy )

 

[ADDchild]

Best advice on this thread.

-An incoming MS2 (who didn't honor anatomy )

I agree excellent advise you do have to put the time in.

-An outgoing MS2 and incoming MS3 (who did honor anatomy)

 

[bananamd]

Absolutely great advice. I would like to add one thing... any opportunity you get to teach in med school -> take it. Teaching the material to your roommate, review group, or class in a TA session not only reinforces the material, but also moves you into the realm of learning how to apply the knowledge which you have gained.

In first semester, I would quickly cover the Anatomy material (as recommended by njbmd) and then hold 1-2 hour review sessions in the lab (12-15 people usually showed up). I went on to become Head Anatomy TA and Head Physiology TA. It all paid off... I am remembering a lot of things w/o even beginning the review process as I go through Qbank, etc... for my Step this fall.

Take things one step at a time... and enjoy the experience. Yes, I definitely do not miss the smell... but there is always something about Anatomy (maybe just the fact it is the "doorway to medical school.") - it forms the foundation of your next two years.

 

[R*ckstar]

For the practicals, I memorized Grant's Dissector- and I did really well on the orals. (I could nearly recite Grant's Dissector the day of the oral...and promptly gave it all back to Dr. Grant...) For the written, I memorized BRS. I never even opened Moore- just didn't have time.

For any of the current med students... did you take any anatomy courses in undergrad? If so, how do they compare?

I took a pretty intense comparative vertebrate anatomy course and spent about 3 hours of lecture, 8 mandatory hours in lab, and probably 20 hours a week studying... does this sound comparable? I have heard that students from this particular class have gone on to med school and said that gross wasn't too bad. (wishful thinking maybe?)

 

[njbmd]

For any of the current med students... did you take any anatomy courses in undergrad? If so, how do they compare?

I took a pretty intense comparative vertebrate anatomy course and spent about 3 hours of lecture, 8 mandatory hours in lab, and probably 20 hours a week studying... does this sound comparable? I have heard that students from this particular class have gone on to med school and said that gross wasn't too bad. (wishful thinking maybe?)

Hi there,
I did not take any anatomy course during my undergraduate career. You cannot actually compare anything from undergraduate with what you will be doing in medical school. The volume is greater than anything you have encoutered. My Gross Anatomy ran 2 hours of lecture every Monday, Wednesday and Friday followed by 5 hours of laboratory time. In addition, it took about 10 hours of dissection per week outside of lab just to finish the dissection. Then there is the study and review time which was above the dissection time. Besides Gross Anatomy, you will have other courses that have a huge amount of volume such as Developmental Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology.

As I stated in one of my previous posts, keep up and study every day. That goes for most of your pre-clinical stuff in medical school anyway. There is just no way of getting around putting in the time.

Most people do just fine in medical school as they ramp up whatever study techniques got them there in the first place. A few get overwhelmed but generally settle down after the first set of exams. Rather than trying to compare Gross Anatomy or any other medical school course to your undergraduate stuff, enjoy the rest of your summer and be rested up for fall. It gets here sooner than you think.

Nothing in medical school is "bad" as it is all rather and aimed toward what you will be doing in life. There are courses such as Epidemiology and Biostats, that I found dull and boring so I stayed home or did something else during those lectures. In any professional school, time management is one of the most useful tools that you have.

njbmd

 

[PurpleHaze]

When people say "Baby Moore"... what's the real name of that book? Does it just say "Clinically Oriented Anatomy: Abbreivated Version" or is it part of a review series?? I just started anatomy this past week.. so i'm trying to get just about anything that will help!

Thanks!

 

[njbmd]

When people say "Baby Moore"... what's the real name of that book? Does it just say "Clinically Oriented Anatomy: Abbreivated Version" or is it part of a review series?? I just started anatomy this past week.. so i'm trying to get just about anything that will help!

Thanks!

Hi there,

Clinically Oriented Anatomy = Big Moore (need to know the Blue Boxes here)
Essentials of Anatomy by Moore = Baby Moore (what you really NEED to learn)

njbmd

 

[PurpleHaze]

Hi there,

Clinically Oriented Anatomy = Big Moore (need to know the Blue Boxes here)
Essentials of Anatomy by Moore = Baby Moore (what you really NEED to learn)

njbmd

Thank you!!!!

 

[IzzyMD09]

here in the sunny state of Israel and by sunny i really mean that, there isnt a single fricken cloud in the sky from march till november

We do anatomy a little different, we dont actually dissect our TA's do it for us, although we do have access to our groups cadaver 24 hours a day which means its fair game for going in and getting our hands dirty on our own

my question is simple though


What is the best book between snell moore and netters, if I have a text do i need a review, can one survive on review only, is an atlas +BRS Gross anatomy enough to survive and dare i say H a class

what about the boards I hear gross is limited very limited except for neuroanatomy

any suggestions

thanks

izzy

 

[ZacharyMD]

Hi there,
I did not take any anatomy course during my undergraduate career. You cannot actually compare anything from undergraduate with what you will be doing in medical school. The volume is greater than anything you have encoutered. My Gross Anatomy ran 2 hours of lecture every Monday, Wednesday and Friday followed by 5 hours of laboratory time. In addition, it took about 10 hours of dissection per week outside of lab just to finish the dissection. Then there is the study and review time which was above the dissection time. Besides Gross Anatomy, you will have other courses that have a huge amount of volume such as Developmental Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology.

As I stated in one of my previous posts, keep up and study every day. That goes for most of your pre-clinical stuff in medical school anyway. There is just no way of getting around putting in the time.

Most people do just fine in medical school as they ramp up whatever study techniques got them there in the first place. A few get overwhelmed but generally settle down after the first set of exams. Rather than trying to compare Gross Anatomy or any other medical school course to your undergraduate stuff, enjoy the rest of your summer and be rested up for fall. It gets here sooner than you think.

Nothing in medical school is "bad" as it is all rather and aimed toward what you will be doing in life. There are courses such as Epidemiology and Biostats, that I found dull and boring so I stayed home or did something else during those lectures. In any professional school, time management is one of the most useful tools that you have.

njbmd

I'm going to have to disagree just a bit on how undergrad anatomy doesnt help with gross anatomy in med school becuase it really does help more than you would think. Especially if you have taken Anatomy and Physiology in high school and then take Anatomy again in College, you will be at a significant advantage.

 

[R*ckstar]

Hi there,
I did not take any anatomy course during my undergraduate career. You cannot actually compare anything from undergraduate with what you will be doing in medical school. The volume is greater than anything you have encoutered. My Gross Anatomy ran 2 hours of lecture every Monday, Wednesday and Friday followed by 5 hours of laboratory time. In addition, it took about 10 hours of dissection per week outside of lab just to finish the dissection. Then there is the study and review time which was above the dissection time. Besides Gross Anatomy, you will have other courses that have a huge amount of volume such as Developmental Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology.

As I stated in one of my previous posts, keep up and study every day. That goes for most of your pre-clinical stuff in medical school anyway. There is just no way of getting around putting in the time.

Most people do just fine in medical school as they ramp up whatever study techniques got them there in the first place. A few get overwhelmed but generally settle down after the first set of exams. Rather than trying to compare Gross Anatomy or any other medical school course to your undergraduate stuff, enjoy the rest of your summer and be rested up for fall. It gets here sooner than you think.

Nothing in medical school is "bad" as it is all rather and aimed toward what you will be doing in life. There are courses such as Epidemiology and Biostats, that I found dull and boring so I stayed home or did something else during those lectures. In any professional school, time management is one of the most useful tools that you have.

njbmd

Good deal... Thanks for the advice!

 

[R*ckstar]

I'm going to have to disagree just a bit on how undergrad anatomy doesnt help with gross anatomy in med school becuase it really does help more than you would think. Especially if you have taken Anatomy and Physiology in high school and then take Anatomy again in College, you will be at a significant advantage.

Here's hoping

 

[Uegis]

Just to strictly pass the test, study off of your syllabus and forget outside reading. If you read the stuff in COA, you'll probably have no time to even look at your syllabus. High-Yield Anatomy might be a good reference for quick facts.

For me personally, I rarely even used Netter's outside of lab. I only used it outside of lab for nerves and vessels. Just go in lab and do a good job dissecting and identify all listed structures (most likely grant's dissector). For lab practicals, go into lab to look at cadaver and use grant's text (which is excellent in it's own right). For all the extra details that probably won't be taught, study them when you study boards or it will show up during your other physio, path, etc classes.

 

[Pewl]

Can someone find me the "baby moore" text on amazon or ebay or something? i can find the "clinically oriented anatomy" book but not the "baby moore" one.

edit: is this it? http://product.half.ebay.com/Essential-Clinical-Anatomy_W0QQprZ46969522QQtgZinfo

 

[njbmd]

Can someone find me the "baby moore" text on amazon or ebay or something? i can find the "clinically oriented anatomy" book but not the "baby moore" one.

edit: is this it? http://product.half.ebay.com/Essential-Clinical-Anatomy_W0QQprZ46969522 QQtgZinfo

Hi there,
That's the 2006 version of Baby Moore.
njbmd

 

[Pewl]

Hi there,
That's the 2006 version of Baby Moore.
njbmd

How often does a new version of Baby Moore come out?

I notice that Netter recently put out a new edition.

What about other books like cross sectional anatomy or Rohen?

 

[JulioFly]

For practicals -

STARE at Netter plates, and not just memorize them, but really notice the relationships between structures, as in what artery or nerve is traversing what muscle or organ. It is amazingly accurate. Some Netter plates are priceless.

If your instructors hold lab review sessions, GO TO THEM. Follow them around as they're reviewing, as they'll review the high yield/most frequently tagged structures... and ask them to drill you (if they have the time)... Before dissection, preview the dissection by studying lecture notes/syllabus side by side with Netter, i.e. have a very good idea of what you're going to be dissecting as you go in.

what is a netter plate?

 

[Pewl]

what is a netter plate?

ditto, can someone please tell me what a netter plate is?

 

[arroser]

ditto, can someone please tell me what a netter plate is?

Plate = picture.

From Dictionary.com:
Plate:
...
5. Printing.
A sheet of metal, plastic, rubber, paperboard, or other material prepared for use as a printing surface, such as an electrotype or a stereotype.
A print of a woodcut, lithograph, or other engraved material, especially when reproduced in a book.
A full-page book illustration, often in color and printed on paper different from that used on the text pages.

 

[logos]

Repetition Repetition Repetition. Read the sylibus, atlas and the blue boxes. Anything more is a waste of your time. The reason being that anatomy books (Moore at least) are basically just lists of the relationships between structures. It takes a lot longer to describe all aspects of structure in words than pictures.

 

[Pewl]

Repetition Repetition Repetition. Read the sylibus, atlas and the blue boxes. Anything more is a waste of your time. The reason being that anatomy books (Moore at least) are basically just lists of the relationships between structures. It takes a lot longer to describe all aspects of structure in words than pictures.

The blue boxes you speak of are only in Moore's right? Are there blue boxes in Netter's?

 

[SugarDaddy]

The only way to master anatomy is spend as much time as possible in lab, make a buddy who you can push each other to know everything.
oh and a bottle of whiskey doesnt hurt either.