College anatomy vs. med school anatomy

[BlueElmo]

Hi guys,

So I was thinking of taking college anatomy lab this summer. I was thinking it might help me in medical school but the summer courses are really expensive. Is it worth taking it? I heard medical school anatomy classes are worlds apart from college anatomy. What are your thoughts?

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[Dr Roboto]

Undergrad anatomy is nothing compared to med school anatomy, but even then it's still worth taking for the experience and exposure. I would not recommend taking it for the sake of preparing yourself for med school. What you'll remember by the time you matriculate will probably save you ten minutes, if you're lucky. I wouldn't pay to take it over the summer though. See if you can fit it into your regular course schedule.

 

[yowhatup]

take Physiology if you need to do something.... and you dont need anatomy to do well in physiology... you can do just as well if you take anatomy the first time in med school... but physiology is something that will help you...

both will take the same amount of studying, so I highly recommend taking physiology over anatomy

 

[seelee]

My school offers a human anatomy class with a human cadaver lab. The lab is already prosected but it was interesting to learn anatomy on a cadaver instead of models. I will definitely have to refresh myself on most of it, but I did learn that I can deal with dead bodies without getting squeemish (all except for when we covered repro...the TA's in that class were way hot and when they would hold up a preserved penis specimin and point to different parts and ask us to give the name, I couldn't help but say the "naughty words" ha ha...I am still fourteen).

Bottom line, it won't hurt, but if you don't take it, you won't be at a disadvantage. A physiology class might be more beneficial though.

 

[hypnix]

I would imagine it would help some. Maybe not worth a summer class, but definitely sometime your senior year. I always hear how science majors have somewhat of an advantage over an English major in med school cause it's not hte first time we are exposed to the stuff. Sure you won't remember everything from ugrad anatomy, but I'm sure some stuff will stick and it will take you less time to relearn the anatomy in med school.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

It seems like the difference between Undergrad courses and Medical school courses, are similar differences between normal high school courses (non-honors) and AP courses.

 

[146233]

It seems like the difference between Undergrad courses and Medical school courses, are similar differences between normal high school courses (non-honors) and AP courses.

No. If you want to take it because it interests you, OP, then by all means. Do not take it because you think it'll help [any advantage will barely be noticeable]. If cost is the deciding issue, I'd skip it.

 

[phospho]

If cost is the deciding issue, I'd skip it.

what if you've never taken anatomy/physiology, and the last time you took something related to science was the MCAT that would have been almost two years ago by the time you matriculate?

 

[greg1184]

People in my class who had anatomy in undergrad had an advantage over people who didn't have anatomy. They had a much easier time adjusting to the course, especially considering Anatomy was the very first module I had (plus it was an 8 week module!). As a medical student, one of the things I would have done looking back at my undergrad education was take an anatomy course. Although undergrad anatomy isn't as in depth as a medical school anatomy course, it definitely helped many of my colleagues transition to it.

 

[146233]

what if you've never taken anatomy/physiology, and the last time you took something related to science was the MCAT that would have been almost two years ago by the time you matriculate?

I think you'd benefit more from a physiology course than anatomy. Even a lot of the "hard science" majors in each class won't have had a formal anatomy course, so you're not behind the curve at all.

 

[MilkmanAl]

College anatomy is a joke compared to med school anatomy. Like others said, take physiology. At least that's largely conceptual, so you'll have been lightly introduced to those concepts when you get steamrolled by them next year.

 

[phospho]

makes a lot of sense, thank you!

 

[BlueElmo]

Yeah, okay, I think I will skip it for the summer. Maybe I will take it this fall. Thanks for the input.

 

[TMP-SMX]

If you have the choice, don't suffer through anatomy. Take something useful for the MCAT or to make you more rounded. Do independent research for credit or something. Either that or take phys, micro, genetics, biochem, or something along those lines. Phys helps tremendously for the MCAT and for conceptual understanding for med school. Micro exposure helps for medical school and the MCAT for understanding Gram + vs. - and molecular biological concepts.

 

[Instatewaiter]

If you have the option to take anatomy, especially with a cadaver lab, do it. Just learning some of the words will make a much, much easier transition into arguably the hardest medical school course.

Phys is another good idea. It is the foundation for all of medicine and really a more functionally helpful class, but just in terms of what will help you struggle less first year... I think anatomy is your best bet.

 

[xanthomondo]

I wouldnt bother with anatomy, but rather I would either take immunology or embryology in undergrad.

Immuno didn't make sense until the very end, so going back now it's a piece of cake. But going through it the first time was pretty rough not knowing half the pieces to the puzzle.

Embryo still baffles me completely, though.

 

[Dissected]

take Physiology if you need to do something.... and you dont need anatomy to do well in physiology... you can do just as well if you take anatomy the first time in med school... but physiology is something that will help you...

both will take the same amount of studying, so I highly recommend taking physiology over anatomy

nope.

Im in anatomy right now at my undergrad at the nursing school. Although its a lot, I can see how much we aren't responsible to know, which scares me a little bit about how hard its going to be next year. But, alas, my study habits are improving because this is not a class that I can cram for like all of my other science courses..including physiology.

 

[greg1184]

If you have the option to take anatomy, especially with a cadaver lab, do it. Just learning some of the words will make a much, much easier transition into arguably the hardest medical school course.

Exactly my point.

 

[P31woman]

I'm currently in an anatomy class @ Stanford and I love it. It's taught by the same professors that teach the med school class so it is very similar to what is given at the med school level. I like knowing how to approach the material now, because I think in med school it will be something that will not cause me to stress. Also, I made it a part of my graduation requirement.

I agree that physiology classes are great too....bottom line, do what you want to do, not just because it looks good/solely give you a foot up...

 

[BlueElmo]

Yeah, I'm taking Physiology right now, so I guess I'm set for that.
So would taking Immuno be a better bet than Anatomy? Immuno in our school is considered one of the hardest biology courses. I don't know if it wil be worth it.
By the way, do you guys take Cell Biology in medical school?

 

[146233]

By the way, do you guys take Cell Biology in medical school?

Yeah, it's part of Histology.

 

[Bacchus]

I think you'd benefit more from a physiology course than anatomy. Even a lot of the "hard science" majors in each class won't have had a formal anatomy course, so you're not behind the curve at all.

Aye. I never took anatomy or physiology. People are shocked. I'm grateful.

 

[virusgirl]

Immunology is hard, but it's worth it. Obviously I'm not a medical student, but when i went to grad school I would have given anything to have had some sort of intro to immunology before getting into the big league. I think the intensity of Micro probably varies from school to school, but if it's taken at all seriously, an understanding of immunology will be a good thing to have.

 

[146233]

Aye. I never took anatomy or physiology. People are shocked. I'm grateful.

Have fun in the fall.

 

[kastle6797]

Definitely take anatomy. Physiology is good too. Also embryology, cell bio, and biochemistry. If you can find a good pathology take that too. Finally, don't forget to take a good pharmacology class. Just make sure you have a "leg up" by taking all the medical school classes before you even get to medical school.

Seriously, whether you get a leg up or not, why subject yourself to this? Yes, the class will probably be harder if it is the first time you take it...suck it up and study hard.

 

[Dissected]

Definitely take anatomy. Physiology is good too. Also embryology, cell bio, and biochemistry. If you can find a good pathology take that too. Finally, don't forget to take a good pharmacology class. Just make sure you have a "leg up" by taking all the medical school classes before you even get to medical school.

Seriously, whether you get a leg up or not, why subject yourself to this? Yes, the class will probably be harder if it is the first time you take it...suck it up and study hard.

lol. i read the first half of your post and thought you were serious.

 

[drelizabeth292]

im in a similar situation, i graduated in december and dont start med school until august and am having a hard time deciding if taking anatomy this summer will be worth it.. oh the decisions...

 

[bluesmd]

Have fun in the fall.

do you really think it's necessary to have taken those classes before? i haven't and am not planning to. i don't think it's possible for many people who are non-science majors to do this

 

[Genecks]

Hi, sorry for necromancing, but after reading this entire thread, I didn't see the detail I was hoping for.

So, could someone possibly go into more detail about how college/university anatomy is different from medical school anatomy?

How many more terms need to be memorized?
How are tests different?
How are the learning styles different?

I've taken at least one semester of anatomy and physiology at a college. I remember memorizing a good deal of material and getting accustomed to using the cadaver as the basis for learning, visualizing, and memorizing body parts rather than the over-glorified drawings that were found in my anatomy and physiology book. The drawings of muscles are definitely not the same as would be observed with a cadaver.

I was the only person to make an A on the first exam, but this was more than likely due to me having a decent amount of anatomy knowledge since I strength train (I already knew a lot about the bones, muscles, and so forth).

I know there are other anatomy books that have at least 1000+ pages of material. These are surely more dense than college books. So, would it simply be that there is more material covered?

 

[chillaxbro]

Bump

I didn't want to make a new thread for this but what exactly is the difference between undergrad anatomy and med school anatomy other than being able use a real body instead of models?

I'm taking anatomy now as an undergrad and I can't imagine the material going into any more detail than this. There's literally not a single thing that doesn't have a name and I'm not supposed to memorize... I shudder at the thought of medical school anatomy if it somehow gets harder than this

edit: forgot about histology and microscopic anatomy woops

 

[SLC]

Bump

I didn't want to make a new thread for this but what exactly is the difference between undergrad anatomy and med school anatomy other than being able use a real body instead of models?

I'm taking anatomy now as an undergrad and I can't imagine the material going into any more detail than this. There's literally not a single thing that doesn't have a name and I'm not supposed to memorize... I shudder at the thought of medical school anatomy if it somehow gets harder than this

edit: forgot about histology and microscopic anatomy woops

Sounds like you're getting a good class then. My undergrad class had cadavers, and was super intense, medical school anatomy was only a little more involved than that and I got an easy A. Maybe your experience will be the same?

 

[yehhhboiii]

You'd be surprised at how hard it can be to identify structures on a dried out cadaver when you have around 3 minutes to figure out what the 3-4 tagged structures at every station are for an hour and a half with the pressure of grading looming down on you.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Gross Anatomy in medical school is hell on Earth.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Grad school anatomy > med school anatomy (both at my university)

This is from a friend of mine who currently in med school and took both (I asked him about this since we both had the same grad class).

 

[Planes2Doc]

Grad school anatomy > med school anatomy (both at my university)

This is from a friend of mine who currently in med school and took both (I asked him about this since we both had the same grad class).

Is the grad school anatomy part of an SMP program? That might explain it.

It's odd. Anatomy is ridiculously easy. There's nothing hard about it conceptually. The volume is killer.

Back in undergrad, I had the opportunity to always do my best because there was ample time for work and play. If I didn't know things on the exam, it was my own fault.

On the other hand, in medical school, you're given way more information than is humanly possible to master. You better hope you're not asked that minute detail you don't remember.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Is the grad school anatomy part of an SMP program? That might explain it.

It's odd. Anatomy is ridiculously easy. There's nothing hard about it conceptually. The volume is killer.

Back in undergrad, I had the opportunity to always do my best because there was ample time for work and play. If I didn't know things on the exam, it was my own fault.

On the other hand, in medical school, you're given way more information than is humanly possible to master. You better hope you're not asked that minute detail you don't remember.

Nope just purely grad school anatomy (apart of a developmental and reproductive biology MS or PhD). It might be that the medical school anatomy was just easier than most medical schools.

In grad school anatomy, we had to know a great deal of knowledge. 1) the organ/the body part name 2) it's innervation (if it had one) 3) the way it moves (if it does) 4) origin and insertion (for muscles).

His tests were ridiculously hard. The written portion did have multiple choice but they had multiple answers. To make it worse there were certain questions that had the answers in a word bank with 30 terms. So a question with only one answer could ask a) 2 of the above choices b) 3 of the above choices c) 4 of the above choices etc. The lab portion was also pretty hard as well we were asked about questions about every dent in the vertebrae.

The medical school anatomy just test all of the organs/muscles/nerves/ligaments/bones (plus their attachments) and muscle innervations. This is what my friend told me.

If I were to give a glimpse of how intense the grad school one was I would say that unless you know all the branches of the trigeminal cranial nerve (there should be about 30 branches coming from this nerve) you are not studying hard enough for the class.

EDIT: Sorry changes a few details from my initial post.

 

[ven2083]

during undergrad, I took a class called "function of vertebrate anatomy"....very interesting class as we dissected various animals (close to the human anatomy) and had a separate lecture setting, so I would recommend this class over anatomy which is basically memorization.

 

[yehhhboiii]

We had everything you mentioned although we focused on the names and innervations with clinical correlations for the most part. We also did every branch of the trigeminal nerve.

 

[Konfidence]

during undergrad, I took a class called "function of vertebrate anatomy"....very interesting class as we dissected various animals (close to the human anatomy) and had a separate lecture setting, so I would recommend this class over anatomy which is basically memorization.

+1. Never took human anatomy in undergrad but took comparative vertebrate anatomy. Medical school students who've taken both in undergrad tell me the latter was more helpful. I enjoyed the class even though I accidentally tore a hole through my cat's pectoralis major into the minor as I skinned it. R.I.P. knuckles..