Histo vs Anatomy- which do you prefer?

[unsung]

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And which is easier for you?

I find that the stuff I learned in histo has transferred more into my long-term memory, whereas I've forgotten many of the minutiae from anatomy. I'm not sure why this is. Perhaps it's there's a tad more reasoning in histo? Where identification is based on some lvl of functional understanding? (This is cell X, because it has dilated ER, heterochromatic nucleus, ec. etc)

Is this typical? I feel like the knowledge I gained in histo has really stuck, in a way... and it definitely helps later learning in diff classes when I can picture the cells/structures being referred to from histo. So... contrary to what a lot of folks say about histo being useless, I really think it's been useful for me to have pictures to associate with words. Otherwise, learning about different cell types would just be learning a bunch of different words (kinda like what biochem is lol).

That said, of course anatomy is hugely important to... but I feel like I have to review it because a lot of the stuff I learned has already seeped out of mind... especially the mm stuff & the extremities.

 

[deuce924]

For me, both seemed to be just mass memorization. With that being said, I think understanding histology is vital to understanding microscopic pathology because you have to know the normal appearance of something if you are to compare it to the abnormal appearance and the same goes for anatomy on the gross level. As for anatomy though, I feel physiology was more important and conceptual with less memorization. Its like anatomy teaches you the parts of the car without telling you how they work but physiology tells you how different parts go together to make it work.

With all that said, the entire 1st 2 years of medical school seem to be a prep course for the STEP 1 so take what you can from each course and then cram the rest in before the exam.

 

[unsung]

For me, both seemed to be just mass memorization. With that being said, I think understanding histology is vital to understanding microscopic pathology because you have to know the normal appearance of something if you are to compare it to the abnormal appearance and the same goes for anatomy on the gross level. As for anatomy though, I feel physiology was more important and conceptual with less memorization. Its like anatomy teaches you the parts of the car without telling you how they work but physiology tells you how different parts go together to make it work.

With all that said, the entire 1st 2 years of medical school seem to be a prep course for the STEP 1 so take what you can from each course and then cram the rest in before the exam.

Your signature is priceless.

 

[silverhorse84]

I didn't particularly like either one. But I do remember a lot more from histology than gross anatomy (which is bad considering I have a gross test next wednesday...😛)
We have more histology interspersed in the spring when we do organ systems, so it's good that I remember it better. Histology was a little more difficult to start getting good at, but once I understood it better, it became easier. Anatomy, to me, is more memorization so if I forget it, I can just rememorize it again later. I felt like there was more deductive reasoning in histo.

 

[J ROD]

Your signature is priceless.

qft!!

 

[shreypete]

Both were my favorites 🙂 (perhaps anatomy a bit more than histology)

 

[LossForWords]

I hated Histo. I felt like it was almost useless (at least, as useless as anything in med school can be).

I'd rather spend days in the Gross lab than stare through those damn microscopes anymore.

 

[Cp22kjer]

Histo is a tad easier for me, but I'd rather study anatomy....

 

[chiz2kul]

anatomy>>>>>>>>>>histo IMO

Hated histo from day 1...cant stand looking into those 'scopes.

 

[dikoerastenie]

I would rank different classes in terms of difficulty for me (or time spent per lecture assuming the same quality of instructors) from easiest to most difficult:
biochemistry=physiology>>>>>histology>>embryology=anatomy.

 

[MossPoh]

It depends on your histology class. Ours was designed to be more of a pathology/cell bio type class with a few pictures thrown in. The USMLE has been reducing the amount of straight up histo pictures and they (our profs) feel it is pretty worthless to look at tons of pictures/slides. I think our "microanatomy" course is more difficult since the questions have a few more tiers but anatomy was more exhausting because of the mass of information.

 

[Concordia]

Histo...it's cleaner, smells better, a lot less memorizing (I thought, at least)

 

[shinjiru]

Niether. But histo at least didn't smell the way anatomy did.

 

[armybound]

Histo's easier for me (took it in college) but I don't find anatomy too particularly difficult either. I enjoy the challenge of it, actually. I understand it better because I can see it, feel it, do it...

 

[DrYoda]

Win goes to histo because: A. no lengthy labs erroding my free time, and B. doesn't make me smell like death.


Difficulty I would put at roughly equal

 

[sunset823]

Both classes are over for the semester, and at least this term I did significantly better in histo (16% spread) and, although I'm not a big fan of either class, did like histo more than anatomy. The labs suck for both though, I actually dislike histo lab more, not a big fan of microscopes and there are some cool things to find on an actual cadaver.

 

[kingofthehill]

Histo for sure. It's not as much info to remember and you don't get dirty and smelly in "lab" like you do in anatomy when, say, sawing a 90-yr-old woman's leg off and having all the bodily fluids go everywhere. I much prefer wearing my jeans and T-shirt to wearing scrubs that I can't get the smell of formaldehyde out of.

Histo's definitely easier, IMO. The only negative is that it's about as exciting as going to the dentist.

 

[C6789]

I find that the stuff I learned in histo has transferred more into my long-term memory, whereas I've forgotten many of the minutiae from anatomy.

I loved anatomy, and initially couldn't stand histo, however I've forgotten much of what I learned in anatomy, but can recall histology findings pretty easily. I guess with anatomy, a lot of it is just pure memorization, whereas histology is more logical, You can link what you see to specific pathology and physiology. There's a set number of ways you can generally damage cells, and only a limited number of ways the cells can respond. Makes more sense to me, thus sticks in my memory.

 

[swedishfish]

i really like histo more. and the lab was nice because we used the virtual microscope. although i never actually went to histo lab.

 

[abmd]

anatomy>>>>>>>>>>histo IMO

Hated histo from day 1...cant stand looking into those 'scopes.

i hate histo. i didn't know anyone liked histo. i don't know it might just be just how it is done at my school but i feel histo is pretty useless. it's just a bunch of facts put together that could easily be included in physio. and the slides really all look the same. histo is really boring to study

i love anatomy and dissection and everything about it. and i enjoy studying anatomy

 

[illixir]

I like both. Histo was easier for me to study and remember. Our school uses virtual microscope so everything was on computer and extremely easy to zoom and look around. Microscopes would be atrocious.

 

[abmd]

I like both. Histo was easier for me to study and remember. Our school uses virtual microscope so everything was on computer and extremely easy to zoom and look around. Microscopes would be atrocious.

i didn't know any school uses microscopes anymore. does anyone go to a school that does? yeah i'm definitely glad ours is virtual

 

[VenusinFurs]

Histology was awful and boring; anatomy was interesting but sh**-scary. There you go.

 

[ar2388]

im with you OP... histo i really like and it makes sense more often than not.. anatomy I find myself also forgetting all the details... and just disliking anatomy a whole bunch!!! i love the actual dissecting but everything else sucks

 

[HPSPpayissues]

Histo...it's cleaner, smells better, a lot less memorizing (I thought, at least)

At first, histo was harder for me, because it was my first time. I had not much idea how to study for it. Anatomy was my first time too, but it was so much easier to visualize 😉... but so much info...


However, I now agree with the above statement. Not much memorizing really.

 

[Forthegood]

Histology was WAY easier, and I liked anatomy more too. It is just unfortunate that so very little is useful... we learned so much.

 

[ar2388]

Histology was WAY easier, and I liked anatomy more too. It is just unfortunate that so very little is useful... we learned so much.

so very little of anatomy is useful?

if so.....
lol yay!!!

 

[Deepa100]

Histology was a lot easier but I like Anatomy because I like the challenge it presented. For me it was my first Anatomy class ever and I found it very interesting.