Level of depth covering anatomy?

[sirromta]

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Ok quick question. I wanted to do a survey of the anatomy material before school starts. I just wanted to see the volume I'd need to know for medical school. So I ordered some Gray's Anatomy flashcards and it's overloaded with information naming every little dimple and protrusion for each bone. That level of naming seems superfluous to memorize names for. I would assume it'd be important to understand innervation, bone names, and major anatomical features and how they're specially related.

So my question is: Do medical schools really test on this level of depth?

 

[Darrow O'Lykos]

It’s hard to say without seeing exactly what it is you are referring to, but this does sound perhaps a tad too granular. There are certainly different trends you need to know (I.e: how the demifacets of the vertebrae articulate with each other and the ribs, identify differences in the spine from top to bottom, etc.) and unique protrusions of different bones, but it sounds like you probably are looking at details beyond the scope of what is usually tested on

That being said, there are certainly given landmarks in the body that may seem obscure or insignificant but will absolutely be tested on in your practicals, as well as your imaging and written exams.

Also, for the love of god please don’t study before med school. Enjoy the life and freedom you have and don’t think you’re doing yourself any favors by trying to do this.

 

[sirromta]

It’s hard to say without seeing exactly what it is you are referring to, but this does sound perhaps a tad too granular. There are certainly different trends you need to know (I.e: how the demifacets of the vertebrae articulate with each other and the ribs, identify differences in the spine from top to bottom, etc.) and unique protrusions of different bones, but it sounds like you probably are looking at details beyond the scope of what is usually tested on

That being said, there are certainly given landmarks in the body that may seem obscure or insignificant but will absolutely be tested on in your practicals, as well as your imaging and written exams.

Also, for the love of god please don’t study before med school. Enjoy the life and freedom you have and don’t think you’re doing yourself any favors by trying to do this.

I don't remember the exact the terms but it did seem like too much. I don't want to study! I just feel like I need to figure out how to study before I show up. I've been out of school for a while already

 

[Dr Meow]

Every tiny tubercle and tuberosity. Super detailed. Know the major insertion and orgins but Not all of them. Know the skull inside out. Buy a skull model and find a tag list

 

[sirromta]

Every tiny tubercle and tuberosity. Super detailed. Know the major insertion and orgins but Not all of them. Know the skull inside out. Buy a skull model and find a tag list

Thank you!

 

[Darrow O'Lykos]

I don't remember the exact the terms but it did seem like too much. I don't want to study! I just feel like I need to figure out how to study before I show up. I've been out of school for a while already

I came into M1 as a non-trad and was worried about this as well, but I took it seriously and did quite well the first few blocks. Honestly med school is just so different than undergrad (or really anything else) that it's hard to really know what studying for this is like until you're in it. If you're serious about it, you'll treat it like a job and you'll quickly learn to hit the ground running and find a method(s) that work for you.

There will be a lot of resources and your classmates will help you out early on as you all start to navigate this monster together.

Also, +1 on the skull, but I wouldn't bother with buying a model (your school should have plenty available to check out at the library). There are a ton of holes in your head and lots of blood vessels and nerves that go in and out of each of them and you're expected to know all of them, and it will come up in your anatomy and nervous system courses. But just dedicate time to it when you're in the courses, don't fret about them now.

 

[deleted1079620]

All those bumps on bones have muscles attached to them, and the grooves & holes have arteries, veins and nerves running through them so your school will most likely expect you to know them all.

For boards and future practice however you’ll have to know much less. Take anatomy seriously and give it the time necessary to master it and you’ll be fine.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Every school is different. Some schools finish gross anatomy in first semester. Others keep it going for 2 years. I’ve met some students who proudly told me they barely learned more than what’s in first aid.

My school not only had absurd detail, but would also have questions like “ Arising from [what nerve roots], the [what nerve] passes [anteriorly/posteriorly/anteriolaterally/anteromedially/posterimedially/posterolaterally] to [adjacent structure] before piercing [what muscle] to innervate [what muscle].

This was a multiple choice with like 12 options to that question lol.

There’s no way to prepare. You need to accept now that this will be the most difficult and humbling experience of your life.

 

[sirromta]

Every school is different. Some schools finish gross anatomy in first semester. Others keep it going for 2 years. I’ve met some students who proudly told me they barely learned more than what’s in first aid.

My school not only had absurd detail, but would also have questions like “ Arising from [what nerve roots], the [what nerve] passes [anteriorly/posteriorly/anteriolaterally/anteromedially/posterimedially/posterolaterally] to [adjacent structure] before piercing [what muscle] to innervate [what muscle].

This was a multiple choice with like 12 options to that question lol.

There’s no way to prepare. You need to accept now that this will be the most difficult and humbling experience of your life.

Thank you all... I'm honestly very intimidated by anatomy. My engineering brain doesn't want to memorize anything I'm able to look up. I suppose I'd just like to become familiar with the terminology. I've never taken anatomy (or physio for that matter) and just want to be comfortable with the question you posed.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Thank you all... I'm honestly very intimidated by anatomy. My engineering brain doesn't want to memorize anything I'm able to look up. I suppose I'd just like to become familiar with the terminology. I've never taken anatomy (or physio for that matter) and just want to be comfortable with the question you posed.

Most of med school is memorization. Very little application until rotations and even that is minor. No real application/innovation until residency. Need to be comfortable with changing your mindset. Good luck.

 

[spidermedic]

That

Every school is different. Some schools finish gross anatomy in first semester. Others keep it going for 2 years. I’ve met some students who proudly told me they barely learned more than what’s in first aid.

My school not only had absurd detail, but would also have questions like “ Arising from [what nerve roots], the [what nerve] passes [anteriorly/posteriorly/anteriolaterally/anteromedially/posterimedially/posterolaterally] to [adjacent structure] before piercing [what muscle] to innervate [what muscle].

This was a multiple choice with like 12 options to that question lol.

There’s no way to prepare. You need to accept now that this will be the most difficult and humbling experience of your life.

That's insane. TBH the anatomy course I took during my SMP was so much harder and more detailed than what's required at my school. We barely cover anything in detail here. I study 3-4 hours a week for anatomy tops versus 8-10 A DAY during my SMP.

 

[sirromta]

That

That's insane. TBH the anatomy course I took during my SMP was so much harder and more detailed than what's required at my school. We barely cover anything in detail here. I study 3-4 hours a week for anatomy tops versus 8-10 A DAY during my SMP.

This is what I like to hear! But to be fair... you probably already have a comprehensive understanding from your SMP

 

[DarkHorizon]

Ok quick question. I wanted to do a survey of the anatomy material before school starts. I just wanted to see the volume I'd need to know for medical school. So I ordered some Gray's Anatomy flashcards and it's overloaded with information naming every little dimple and protrusion for each bone. That level of naming seems superfluous to memorize names for. I would assume it'd be important to understand innervation, bone names, and major anatomical features and how they're specially related.

So my question is: Do medical schools really test on this level of depth?

I assume by surveying you mean pre-studying. Don’t waste your time. Enjoy and do something to relax until school starts. I can go on about why pre-studying is a waste of time, but trust me on this.

 

[Neopolymath]

Thank you all... I'm honestly very intimidated by anatomy. My engineering brain doesn't want to memorize anything I'm able to look up. I suppose I'd just like to become familiar with the terminology. I've never taken anatomy (or physio for that matter) and just want to be comfortable with the question you posed.

I'm very similar in my mindset. Often conceptual thinkers like engineers and those from diagnostic careers can have a harder time adjusting to med school. That's ok! It will get better the further along you go. Pick a specialty that suits you and once you get in deep you will see the areas of your career that are art not mindless regurgitation. Just don't get discouraged when you realize med school is literally just hitting the space bar over and over for those of us who have strong analytical skills already developed (instead of along the way.)

You need to understand that nearly all of med school is straight up memorization besides a few small things here or there with physiology (and even that is memorization because it's blatantly obvious concepts that don't need explained to engineers/plumbers/electricians.) Once you get to the patients you will see there is nuance and room to make decisions, they just won't be yours because you will be doing scut and trying to learn what you have to memorize in order to finally become the person using their brain at work.

Basically, don't prestudy. Learn how to use Anki if you must but don't start. Don't worry about anatomy. You will become more comfortable facing challenges when you are set to meet them and not trying to get a head start. It's important you learn to just take things as they come and enjoy when they aren't.

 

[Ho0v-man]

That

That's insane. TBH the anatomy course I took during my SMP was so much harder and more detailed than what's required at my school. We barely cover anything in detail here. I study 3-4 hours a week for anatomy tops versus 8-10 A DAY during my SMP.

Oh yeah it was dumb! But anatomy is easily the most variable course between med schools. So literally no point for OP to try to do this now.

 

[Lawpy]

I'm very similar in my mindset. Often conceptual thinkers like engineers and those from diagnostic careers can have a harder time adjusting to med school. That's ok! It will get better the further along you go. Pick a specialty that suits you and once you get in deep you will see the areas of your career that are art not mindless regurgitation. Just don't get discouraged when you realize med school is literally just hitting the space bar over and over for those of us who have strong analytical skills already developed (instead of along the way.)

You need to understand that nearly all of med school is straight up memorization besides a few small things here or there with physiology (and even that is memorization because it's blatantly obvious concepts that don't need explained to engineers/plumbers/electricians.) Once you get to the patients you will see there is nuance and room to make decisions, they just won't be yours because you will be doing scut and trying to learn what you have to memorize in order to finally become the person using their brain at work.

Basically, don't prestudy. Learn how to use Anki if you must but don't start. Don't worry about anatomy. You will become more comfortable facing challenges when you are set to meet them and not trying to get a head start. It's important you learn to just take things as they come and enjoy when they aren't.

It’s still really bizarre to me how most of med school is so memorization heavy yet standardized tests are so heavy on concepts and reasoning skills. The contrast is stark.

 

[Dr Meow]

it's not bizarre. You hire a bunch of phD's that know nothing about boards to teach med students and that's all they know how to do.

 

[PhD_to_DO]

Ok quick question. I wanted to do a survey of the anatomy material before school starts. I just wanted to see the volume I'd need to know for medical school. So I ordered some Gray's Anatomy flashcards and it's overloaded with information naming every little dimple and protrusion for each bone. That level of naming seems superfluous to memorize names for. I would assume it'd be important to understand innervation, bone names, and major anatomical features and how they're specially related.

So my question is: Do medical schools really test on this level of depth?

Every school’s curriculum is different. At my school, UIWSOM, we are expected to know ALL of the bony landmarks as its all considered testable material. At other schools, it could be very different. That said, why spend this precious time before starting medical school with your nose in a book? Trust me when I say that you are going to get more exposure to anatomy and the basic sciences / OMT than you ever thought possible. Spend this time before classes ENJOYING life. I started medical school last year two weeks after defending my dissertation; I was already extremely burnt out and would have given anything to have had a total break from the books before starting. Don’t do this to yourself. Take a break. You’ll get the anatomy diwn when you get to school.

 

[Z2911BME]

I don't remember the exact the terms but it did seem like too much. I don't want to study! I just feel like I need to figure out how to study before I show up. I've been out of school for a while already

I entered medical school at 34 and graduated undergrad the year before…my advice is to be willing to adjust study techniques, be very flexible, and don’t stop trying to improve every day. As another person stated, treat it like a full-time job, and I would go as far as to say treat it like a salaried full-time job because 40hrs per week will not cut it haha enjoy all the ups and downs - medical school is a blast.

 

[sirromta]

Thank you for all the advice above 🙂!

 

[sirromta]

I entered medical school at 34 and graduated undergrad the year before…my advice is to be willing to adjust study techniques, be very flexible, and don’t stop trying to improve every day. As another person stated, treat it like a full-time job, and I would go as far as to say treat it like a salaried full-time job because 40hrs per week will not cut it haha enjoy all the ups and downs - medical school is a blast.

Can't wait to leave my current full time salaried position for this new unpaid salary position haha

 

[Dr Meow]

The salaried job analogy is not realistic.
You'll be studying the equivalent of about 2 salaries jobs. You'll be studying from 8am - 12am+. I study about 19 hours a day with intermittent breaks (including classes). My classmates in the study rooms next door also study just as much. And this quantity of studying will not make you top of the class unless you have the innate memorization abilities.

 

[StressedBiClown]

The salaried job analogy is not realistic.
You'll be studying the equivalent of about 2 salaries jobs. You'll be studying from 8am - 12am+. I study about 19 hours a day with intermittent breaks (including classes). My classmates in the study rooms next door also study just as much. And this quantity of studying will not make you top of the class unless you have the innate memorization abilities.

Is that the norm at your school? I can't imagine studying for that long every day.

 

[scoopdaboop]

The salaried job analogy is not realistic.
You'll be studying the equivalent of about 2 salaries jobs. You'll be studying from 8am - 12am+. I study about 19 hours a day with intermittent breaks (including classes). My classmates in the study rooms next door also study just as much. And this quantity of studying will not make you top of the class unless you have the innate memorization abilities.

you're doing something wrong. I was studying 2-5 hours max. Some days in M2 i literally skipped studying.

 

[Dr Meow]

you're doing something wrong. I was studying 2-5 hours max. Some days in M2 i literally skipped studying.

Must have an easy school. Our exams here have nothing to do with the boards. Students are terribly unprepared for boards. And we all study our minds off doing exams that test minutia details only to get a B because we couldn't remember that tiny little factoid hidden in an irrelevent little picture out of 700 slides we have to learn in a week and a half each packed from corner to corner with pictures and words. The OMSII's have lectures where 1 professor in 1 lecture gives a single lecture packed with hundreds of slides for ONE LECTURE and exams cover several thousand slides.

The info in B&B and First Aid is EASY compared to the amount of irrelevant info we need to memorize. Except that we aren't ever able to learn much of anything well enough to remember it for a day after the exam because the next set of exam starts the day of and there's no time to review or do board practice problems

On top of that the frickin professors quit every semester and no one has any idea what sort of monstrosity they're going to hire next.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Must have an easy school. Our exams here have nothing to do with the boards. Students are terribly unprepared for boards. And we all study our minds off doing exams that test minutia details only to get a B because we couldn't remember that tiny little factoid hidden in an irrelevent little picture out of 700 slides we have to learn in a week and a half each packed from corner to corner with pictures and words. The OMSII's have lectures were 1 professor in 1 lecture gives a single lecture packed with hundreds of slides for ONE LECTURE.

The info in B&B and First Aid is EASY compared to the amount of irrelevant info we need to memorize. Except that we aren't ever able to learn much of anything well enough to remember it for a day after the exam because the next set of exam starts the day of and there's no time to review or do board practice problems

Similar experience. Studied 12 hours/day every day for 2 years. Occasionally on Sunday I would do a half day a couple times per semester. Did 4-6 hours/day during the summer and winter breaks too.

Admittedly, my school was very clinically oriented and most of our preclinical curriculum was higher yield for step/level 2. The logic being that it would help us on rotations auditions because that’s what should matter most in their opinions. Sucked at the time but rotations were a breeze because of this torture.

So I had to study like this to be prepared for in-house exams and step 1. The people who focused on just our curriculum and nothing else could treat it like a full-job as the other poster described. Most of them gave up on step 1 before finishing half of uworld.

 

[scoopdaboop]

Must have an easy school. Our exams here have nothing to do with the boards. Students are terribly unprepared for boards. And we all study our minds off doing exams that test minutia details only to get a B because we couldn't remember that tiny little factoid hidden in an irrelevent little picture out of 700 slides we have to learn in a week and a half each packed from corner to corner with pictures and words. The OMSII's have lectures where 1 professor in 1 lecture gives a single lecture packed with hundreds of slides for ONE LECTURE and exams cover several thousand slides.

The info in B&B and First Aid is EASY compared to the amount of irrelevant info we need to memorize. Except that we aren't ever able to learn much of anything well enough to remember it for a day after the exam because the next set of exam starts the day of and there's no time to review or do board practice problems

On top of that the frickin professors quit every semester and no one has any idea what sort of monstrosity they're going to hire next.

that sounds trash. tell your class to try and get together to make change regarding curricula.

 

[Z2911BME]

Can't wait to leave my current full time salaried position for this new unpaid salary position haha

I did the same thing…it’s worth it!

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

My school is very similar to some of the posters above. Our exams are very clinical based and test on small details from one sentence in a PowerPoint. That’s why it was crazy for me to read that a lot of people above said med school is just memorization. I’m only a first year but I can guarantee that if I just memorized stuff I wouldn’t past my exams. I feel like at a basis, yes med school is memorization. But on exams you need to apply it to a clinical scenario and that depends on your ability to reason and being able to critically think in my opinion.