I hate anatomy lab

Started by Jumpstartmy5HT
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Jumpstartmy5HT

Jumpstartmy5HT

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I'm at a systems-based school so anatomy will last all year. I seriously hate this stuff. I don't know how to study for this. I hate the smells of the lab, but I realize I have to go in there during the non-mandatory hours. I really don't want to though because I am pretty sure at least a couple of the bodies in our lab are not fixed properly, and they already smell strange--like meat way past their prime. The prosected body is one of them, which is weird.

So halp? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
There's no way to avoid spending lots of time in the anatomy lab. But I guess if you hate being there, you can do certain things to minimize the amount of time you have to spend elbow deep in formaldehyde.

If I were you I would study everything thoroughly before going in (so you know theoretically what everything is and where everything should be), and then go in to actually identify everything. That way you will minimize the amount of time you spend looking things up/connecting the dots while you are in lab (because theoretically you would have already spent some of that time doing those kinds of things outside of the lab).

Also, use websites like http://thebodyonline.net to quiz yourself and study the material while you're not in lab.

FWIW, I also had anatomy throughout all of first year, and I didn't particularly enjoy being in there at first. But by the end of the year I really enjoyed it.
 
Jumpstartmy5HT said:
I'm at a systems-based school so anatomy will last all year. I seriously hate this stuff. I don't know how to study for this. I hate the smells of the lab, but I realize I have to go in there during the non-mandatory hours. I really don't want to though because I am pretty sure at least a couple of the bodies in our lab are not fixed properly, and they already smell strange--like meat way past their prime. The prosected body is one of them, which is weird.

So halp? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
It seems like you just hate the dissection part of Anatomy and not Anatomy itself correct? Just as an aside, I think many people at schools in which Gross Anatomy is 8 weeks long would kill to be in your position of getting to learn Anatomy in segmented organ system blocks rather than having it in one big fire hydrant spray.
 
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DermViser said:
Just as an aside, I think many people at schools in which Gross Anatomy is 8 weeks long would kill to be in your position of getting to learn Anatomy in segmented organ system blocks rather than having it in one big fire hydrant spray.
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We had a 10 week block of just anatomy and embryology. The bad part was that I definitely spent a lot of extra time down in the lab (especially head and neck!). The good part is that I'm done with anatomy now and don't have to go back!
 
Mr.Zero said:
We had a 10 week block of just anatomy and embryology. The bad part was that I definitely spent a lot of extra time down in the lab (especially head and neck!). The good part is that I'm done with anatomy now and don't have to go back!
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Yup. The ones who hate Anatomy only like the block format like that bc then it's over and you never see it again. When it's done, it's done - no more dissection, etc. Don't know how much people actually retain though.
 
Jumpstartmy5HT said:
I'm at a systems-based school so anatomy will last all year. I seriously hate this stuff. I don't know how to study for this. I hate the smells of the lab, but I realize I have to go in there during the non-mandatory hours. I really don't want to though because I am pretty sure at least a couple of the bodies in our lab are not fixed properly, and they already smell strange--like meat way past their prime. The prosected body is one of them, which is weird.

So halp? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

if you are thinking about going into clinical practice you better get used to strange smells. There are no suggestions, in medicine you are going to do things you don't want to that's all there is to it, get used to it.
 
DermViser said:
Yup. The ones who hate Anatomy only like the block format like that bc then it's over and you never see it again. When it's done, it's done - no more dissection, etc. Don't know how much people actually retain though.
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That pretty much describes my experience with gross lab. I didn't like the extra time it required outside of scheduled lab time because it took time away from research I was trying to finish. I definitely don't remember some of the super detailed aspects of gross anatomy. Time will only tell if that turns around to bite me in the ass. Neuroanatomy turned out to be a completely different story. Loved it, and I still remember the vast majority of it.
 
Mr. Mojo Risin said:
That pretty much describes my experience with gross lab. I didn't like the extra time it required outside of scheduled lab time because it took time away from research I was trying to finish. I definitely don't remember some of the super detailed aspects of gross anatomy. Time will only tell if that turns around to bite me in the ass. Neuroanatomy turned out to be a completely different story. Loved it, and I still remember the vast majority of it.
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I think Neuroanatomy is much more interesting for people bc it is the brain and everyone likes to learn how the CNS works. You're also limited to the CNS from cerebral cortex down to spinal cord (or I guess cauda equina if we're being technical) so it is easier in a sense compared to Gross. Gross Anatomy is just so much in a small period of time and involving even more time out of lecture due to dissection -- even with prosection, it's still a lot of time commitment.
 
Didn't enjoy anatomy either and I was glad we had the quick format (knock it all out in about 10-12 weeks). I wish had retained more of it than I did, but when clinical stuff came up I would just do a quick review. You might be surprised at how much you retain - even if you can't immediately recall it - assuming you put in some form of effort.

But unfortunately there's no getting around the complaints you bring up short of simply not coming to lab, and I doubt that's an option for you. It sucks, but it's temporary.
 
NickNaylor said:
Didn't enjoy anatomy either and I was glad we had the quick format (knock it all out in about 10-12 weeks). I wish had retained more of it than I did, but when clinical stuff came up I would just do a quick review. You might be surprised at how much you retain - even if you can't immediately recall it - assuming you put in some form of effort.

But unfortunately there's no getting around the complaints you bring up short of simply not coming to lab, and I doubt that's an option for you. It sucks, but it's temporary.
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12 weeks! That's actually pretty good. It's when it's compressed to 8 weeks that I think it sucks. It's nice though bc when it's over, it's over. I think Gross Anatomy is one of those things that everyone would like to remember but you have 6 other subjects and something has to give in terms of brain space. Not to mention every surgeon tells you that you really learn Anatomy over during surgery seeing things in vivo anyways. Dissection is more a relic of the past that has stayed, unfortunately.
 
I guess the dissection part was another aspect of gross lab that I didn't like so much. Often my partners walked away to the prosection area, leaving the rest of the group to tediously trim away all the adipose tissue. It was frustrating because even though I started med school thinking the ability to dissect would be a cool experience, the novelty of it was overshadowed by the fact that not everyone contributed the same amount of work (one partner never helped, never touched the scalpel, and only once asked if he could crack a rib when we were going over chest and abdomen), so we didn't always have the best view of the internal anatomy forcing us to walk over to other groups to observe, especially when one of the instructors was there discussing something related to what we were studying. It was a pain and I never wish to repeat it. I've often wondered if having a prosected only course would have changed my opinion.
 
I think it would be weirder if you really enjoyed the anatomy lab.

I mean, if chopping up bodies was my thing, I would have become a serial killer instead of a doctor - way less studying and no debt.

As for the smell, you could try applying some vapor rub under your nostrils/ inside of your mask.

debbieharper_vaporrub_1.jpg
 
DermViser said:
It seems like you just hate the dissection part of Anatomy and not Anatomy itself correct? Just as an aside, I think many people at schools in which Gross Anatomy is 8 weeks long would kill to be in your position of getting to learn Anatomy in segmented organ system blocks rather than having it in one big fire hydrant spray.
Click to expand...

I picked the systems curriculum so I could retain stuff better, but now I have some regrets. I would probably be ok with getting anatomy out of the way in 2 months or so...
 
Priapism4tooLong said:
if you are thinking about going into clinical practice you better get used to strange smells. There are no suggestions, in medicine you are going to do things you don't want to that's all there is to it, get used to it.
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I am actually a lot more tolerant of other smells. Melena? Eh, could live without it, but doesn't induce vomiting. Rotting bed sores? Don't faze me much. Drunk day-old piss smell? Same with the others.

It's just something about that rotting fat smell that's really, really bad for me. I start gagging within seconds. I'm glad that my group's bodies are fixed well.

graviton said:
I think it would be weirder if you really enjoyed the anatomy lab.

I mean, if chopping up bodies was my thing, I would have become a serial killer instead of a doctor - way less studying and no debt.

As for the smell, you could try applying some vapor rub under your nostrils/ inside of your mask.

debbieharper_vaporrub_1.jpg
Click to expand...
At least a couple of my classmates really, really enjoy the dissection part...
 
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I don't usually like saying this, but this is probably one of those situations where you'll just have to suck it up (so to speak). You'll get plenty of bad smells in the future, some of them might make you want to vomit. Knuckle up and take it. You're lucky by comparison. My roommate has a severe formaldehyde allergy, so he has to pre-study hard so he makes efficient use of his time in the lab. When he comes back, he takes 2-3 showers before he can sleep that night.

It'll be over eventually. And you'll never have to go into lab again. GO to bed nurturing that thought and it will be over before you know it.
 
Anatomy lab blows. The fine and delicate structures are impossible for us to find, which are what makes up literally 75% or so of the practicals. Absolute waste of time.
 
I'm one of those weird people who really like anatomy. I have some serious disdain for some other activities though. What I've learned is that you might as well just embrace it, and try to be as engaging as possible. It will certainly make the time go by faster, and you may come to enjoy it.
 
circulus vitios said:
Anatomy lab blows. The fine and delicate structures are impossible for us to find, which are what makes up literally 75% or so of the practicals. Absolute waste of time.
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But you know they're supposed to be there. I think you get a better appreciation for it when you are dissecting,
 
NontradCA said:
But you know they're supposed to be there. I think you get a better appreciation for it when you are dissecting,
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Except for the fact that dissecting is not an effective way to learn for some people. Spending time cleaning up a structure to be able to see what the hell it is only to be told that we don't need to know that particular structure = massive waste of time.
 
unspokentruth said:
Except for the fact that dissecting is not an effective way to learn for some people. Spending time cleaning up a structure to be able to see what the hell it is only to be told that we don't need to know that particular structure = massive waste of time.
Click to expand...
Or spending the time dissecting and cleaning up a structure it only to be told it's the wrong structure.
 
circulus vitios said:
Or spending the time dissecting and cleaning up a structure it only to be told it's the wrong structure.
Click to expand...

My favorite is actually when we find a bundle of nerves/arteries/veins and spend time trying to clean them up and ID them only to have the professors deliberately avoid telling us whether we ID'd them correctly.

theseeker4 said:
Or dissecting through stuff for half an hour, having one professor in lab say "just cut through that, it's just fascia," then the next one comes over and says "well you cut that nerve/artery/vein..."
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Been there. :bang:
 
May have missed this suggestion but Rohens is a great resource with netters/greys to cut down on the amount of the time you need to spend in lab. Its an atlas of prosected bodies. I know alot of people who only used it and mandatory lab time to learn the anatomy.

we were a 12-13 week anatomy, embryo, and histo :S
 
magicm said:
May have missed this suggestion but Rohens is a great resource with netters/greys to cut down on the amount of the time you need to spend in lab. Its an atlas of prosected bodies. I know alot of people who only used it and mandatory lab time to learn the anatomy.
Click to expand...

I second this notion. What I've found works for me is going through Netters, then Rohens, and only then going into anatomy lab. If you can identify all of the structures you need to know in Rohens you may find that don't need to spend very much extra time in lab.
 
Jumpstartmy5HT said:
I am actually a lot more tolerant of other smells. Melena? Eh, could live without it, but doesn't induce vomiting. Rotting bed sores? Don't faze me much. Drunk day-old piss smell? Same with the others.

It's just something about that rotting fat smell that's really, really bad for me. I start gagging within seconds. I'm glad that my group's bodies are fixed well.
Click to expand...
Yes, the preservative that the bodies are in can really sting the nostrils. It could be worse though:
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circulus vitios said:
It's like a game, and I always win.

Regular patients are okay, too.
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Yes, standardized patients is very much Kabuki theater. Medicine is much more than playing the game, which stops right when med school is over.

Well if you truly like being with patients (and they won't all be the nice, friendly type either), then you should be fine. Realize though at least on the inaptient side, you'll be doing a lot more than just talking with patients and the "medical" stuff. It's a lot of the other things that wear and tear on you. If you like the positives, and are willing to tolerate the negatives, then it should be ok. It can be hard to know whether that's the case for you as an MS-1. Many students shadow during MS-1 to figure that out, as time permits.
 
I learned more from reading Moore and memorizing tables than being in the lab. I didn't like the smell and tedious nature of dissection. Always left hungry and with a headache. If I were to do it again I'd study harder and just relish the fact that you'll probably never get another opportunity like this again in your life. (unless you do a4th year anatomy elective)
 
general admission said:
I learned more from reading Moore and memorizing tables than being in the lab. I didn't like the smell and tedious nature of dissection. Always left hungry and with a headache. If I were to do it again I'd study harder and just relish the fact that you'll probably never get another opportunity like this again in your life. (unless you do a4th year anatomy elective)
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👍

As an M1, I got 95% of my studying done outside the lab by reading through Moore. I essentially came into lab to reinforce what I knew, and check structures on different bodies that had already been dissected. Dissection wasn't very useful.

Fast forward to M4. I did a head and neck anatomy elective where I got the opportunity to dissect a head for two weeks. Incredibly useful, because I knew my theoretical anatomy cold. Took me 1/10th the time to dissect, learned 10x as much.
 
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