Do you have to be an excellent student in gross anatomy to go into surgery?

[Tozanzibarbymotorcar]

So, I have taken gross anatomy 2x. Once at an SMP and once in medical school. I didn't do so hot the 1st time but got a B. In medical school I did much better, but not the top of the class. I did get an A though. Every surgeon I have spoken with flew through anatomy like nobody's business. The thing is that I actually love anatomy but am not the top of the class when it comes to the course. Is there any hope for me or should I just give up on doing anything surgical in the future?

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[SpecializedSurgeon]

Gotta know anatomy cold.

That said, there is plenty of anatomic learning that is done after your anatomy class in medical school. I wouldn’t hang your hat on your class performance as a reflection of your future abilities, in either direction (ie just because you got your A doesn’t mean you’re gonna be a rock star surgeon).

 

[filter07]

Gross anatomy as a MS1 and surgical anatomy or radiographic anatomy is a bit different. Anatomy was never my strongest subject but I learned the important things along the way. I was pretty terrible at MS1 anatomy. I never wanted to do dissections either.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Gross anatomy as a MS1 and surgical anatomy or radiographic anatomy is a bit different. Anatomy was never my strongest subject but I learned the important things along the way. I was pretty terrible at MS1 anatomy. I never wanted to do dissections either.

I was the opposite.

MS1 anatomy was "easy" for me and I enjoyed the dissections. As a matter of fact, I wanted to do the whole thing because my less neat classmates would make the cadaver look like a dog's dinner.

However, surgical anatomy was more difficult; I always attributed it partly to the stressful environment during 3rd year and of course, things never looked like they did in Netter's.

 

[dienekes88]

So, I have taken gross anatomy 2x. Once at an SMP and once in medical school. I didn't do so hot the 1st time but got a B. In medical school I did much better, but not the top of the class. I did get an A though. Every surgeon I have spoken with flew through anatomy like nobody's business. The thing is that I actually love anatomy but am not the top of the class when it comes to the course. Is there any hope for me or should I just give up on doing anything surgical in the future?

Doubt anyone is deciding rank lists based on anatomy grades. A fail might raise a red flag, but otherwise a good grade is fine.

I had the same concerns. And to be quite honest, not being the top scorer (even in my area of interest) in anatomy hasn’t held me back. The most important part is preparing for your cases. Reflecting on those cases, and then thinking about the next one.

 

[DoctwoB]

I found anatomy in med school to be easy and just a matter of having the time for rote memorization. Surgical anatomy I found much more difficult in residency as you are viewing things from different approaches, everything is covered in fat, and stakes are clearly higher. Also memorizing and conceptually understanding are very different. I memorized intra vs retroperitoneal structures as an MS-1. I started to conceptually grasp peritoneal anatomy sometime as a PGY-2 -3.

I’m pretty sure that whoever coined the term retroperitoneum to describe something that includes the space of retzius was just trolling future physicians.