Keys to doing well in anatomy

[coolness]

The MSI classes that I'm taking (Biochem, Micro, Histo) do not give me a difficult time because conceptually, they make sense. The course that I have a hard time is gross anatomy, because it's mostly pure memorization. What are some of your methods on studying anatomy and doing well. I've used the lecture notes, textbooks, etc, but I'm still having a difficult time remembering the names. Thanks.

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[Bokomaru]

I had a hard time in anatomy too. One key (with most things in med school) is to start early. Anatomy cannot be absorbed quickly. You need to build up on it. THe second important key (for me) was that I tried drawing out the structures until I could get a reasonable model of how things connected to each other. WHen you could draw without the use of books or notes, you are on solid ground.

 

[efex101]

Well what works for me is ONLY studying from the lecture notes/power point learning that first and then if you need more clarification going to the book. I use a Netter and Grants atlas to actually look at where everything is located. I spend every day at least one-two hours studying anatomy because I cannot absorb and learn everything in minutes like maybe some folks do. On weekends I review all the anatomy that we covered the prior week and catch up on other classes. Our gross is combined with developmental so that takes a good chunk of time too.

 

[DW]

Our gross is combined with developmental so that takes a good chunk of time too.

I don't know how the teaching is at Mayo, but I think in the long run you'll appreciate this big time. Learning any embryo in a vacuum is just painful, but learning it with the corresponding gross anatomy, while time consuming, proves to be very helpful for visualizing where stuff is in the body and the clinical correlates of embryo defects (especially in the abdominal viscera, which can just look like a big pile of mish mash on the cadaver)

one key point if you've havent started to already: make sure you leaf through your notes and atlas BEFORE you get to lab. There's no bigger waste of time than dissecting and fishing around your cadaver if you don't know what you're looking for. If you school doesn't do so already, have a checklist of everything you're supposed to see in lab for a given session, and try as much as you can to know origins/insertions/innervations/blood supply and drainage of stuff before you step foot in the lab. Sounds painful I know, but it can save time in the long run and make the actual lab much more productive.

 

[Mutterkuchen]

I don't know how the teaching is at Mayo, but I think in the long run you'll appreciate this big time. Learning any embryo in a vacuum is just painful, but learning it with the corresponding gross anatomy, while time consuming, proves to be very helpful for visualizing where stuff is in the body and the clinical correlates of embryo defects (especially in the abdominal viscera, which can just look like a big pile of mish mash on the cadaver)

one key point if you've havent started to already: make sure you leaf through your notes and atlas BEFORE you get to lab. There's no bigger waste of time than dissecting and fishing around your cadaver if you don't know what you're looking for. If you school doesn't do so already, have a checklist of everything you're supposed to see in lab for a given session, and try as much as you can to know origins/insertions/innervations/blood supply and drainage of stuff before you step foot in the lab. Sounds painful I know, but it can save time in the long run and make the actual lab much more productive.

This is great advice. I wish I had done this. If you can discipline yourself to do some prestudying before going into lab, you will be MUCH better off.

Drawing blood vessels and nerves is also invaluable. Get a dry erase board or some colored markers, and draw. Then draw again and again.

 

[automaton]

There's no bigger waste of time than dissecting and fishing around your cadaver if you don't know what you're looking for.

i've found that doing dissection even when i do know what i'm looking for is generally a waste of time as well. if dissections are optional then let all the other over-eager suckers dig around and waste time. then come in before practicals with a review sheet on hand and make sure you can recognize things in person. you'll probably save yourself 6-8 hrs a week doing this.

i think the students at ucsf are very lucky in regard to the prosections. thank your lucky stars for a forward thinking administration. my school's hand is forced by the powerful anatomy lobby. 😉

 

[Mumpu]

First of all, draw everything. You can actually learn to draw out nerves, vessles and muscles much faster than you can memorize them. Then during the exam you simply reproduce your drawings and answer questions as if you have an anatomy atlas in your lap. Over time, the schematics will wiggle into your brain and you'll be able to visualize things.

Second, learn as much anatomy on yourself as you can. This is especially helpful for hand and foot anatomy. Palpate muscles and tendons on yourself, watch them as you move your joints, find ulnar and brachial pulses, look at how ulna and radius move with supination on a plastic skeleton, then see what it looks like on your body, etc.

This is human anatomy after all, and chances are you are not a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

 

[one love]

Repetition in different formats might be helpful...meaning paying attention to what's stressed in class, looking at the atlases, drawing out blood supplies/nerves, finding the structures in the cadaver, and getting together with a bunch of study partners and grilling each other since talking things out may help you to burn the names into your head. When you can visualize the structures in your head without looking at the atlases and can say out loud what's important about them...then you know you know it. It's a time-consuming pain in the *ss to do, but it worked for me. And MOST important of all...DON'T GET BEHIND...it'll be hard to play catch up.

 

[DW3843]

This is great advice and will definitely come in handy for me and others.
I'm bumping this to the top of the list

 

[DrWizzle]

To the one who originally posed the question concerning getting thru anatomy.......I absolutely loved anatomy, but then again I was a Bio major and all we ever do is memorize. Crazy enough though, I am sometimes too lazy to memorize or simply just don't feel like it. But you know what helped me BIG TIME......drawing certain compartments out. I don't know what school you are at nor how they teach gross at your school; but for us, we went by compartments and systems for the most part.

If you are one that conceptualizes compartments usually help cause you know you put flexors with flexors and extensors with extensors. As you do plexuses you do them all together. But what alwys help to make that stuff stick is to draw it yourself and become the structure. I know it sounds completely nerdy and stuff...but med school is all about being a nerd, all about it.

What I did, and still do occasionally, is to draw out whatever it is I am trying to get - be it blood clotting cascades, ETC, brachial plexus, T cells, whatever...i would make the science into a drawing or an image that made sense to me and that is what I think you should do for yourself...

Ultimately, you must forget what everyone else says works for them and MAGNIFY, MULTIPLY and WORK THE HELL out of what works for you.....good luck and happy studying....wizzlegrizzle

 

[greets fr. nyc]

a bit of an afterthought during 1st year, i know, but important notheless:

if you have the self-discipline, remember to ORGANIZED YOUR NOTES/KEY DRAWINGS/METHODS OF STUDYINGS ,etc, etc, after the course is over.
if you have some way to access and review key anatomy periodically (let your interest guide you) throughout the years ahead, you will be way better equiped than 80% of your peers on the floors.

that being said,
you will be amazed at, after the heaps of time and sweat and sunday nights you've put into learning anatomy, how much you WILL forget come post-1st year summer, 2nd, 3rd year and beyond.

it's natural and reasonable to forget, and it can take a monumental effort to go back and review, especially when you're time sucked, but you will be well served in actual clinical practice.

key things, easily forgotten:
1) lymph drainage: abdomen, breast/axilla, inguinals: pain and metastasis has a way of showing up in oft forgotten places.
2) cranial nerves and the funky mixed/motor/sensory ones.
3) course of arterires and veins, superficial and deep... when you need to do that saphenous cut-down, you better know where the fluids are going!
4) abominal wall/thoracic = what is that doc going thru during that CABG? and what about the azygous system as it relates to the phrenic (you don't want to hit those!)
5) just what is that OB going thru? UG diaphragm? whuh?

and so forth.

best,



p.s. oh yeah, (same goes for key physiology pathways as well)

 

[efex101]

Thanks for the tips DW. I do like learning the develop anat with the gross because it actually makes sense....I will start reading the lecture notes prior to dissection see if that will help even more. I also love anatomy and it is a good thing because by far it is the class that need the most investment of time...

 

[Tiki]

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I start anatomy class on Monday and I'm a little nervous. 🙂