Memorization help?

[deleted244469]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hey guys, I am having trouble remembering bones and need some suggestions on how to do it. I have to memorize all of the external/internal anatomy of the skull and the amount of areas/sutures/bones is overwhelming...Any help? I have my first lab practical Thursday.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

Go sit yourself in the lab and study for hours.

I also used a technique by remembering the first letter of a bone/muscle in a certain order and then just repeating that mentally when I needed to identify (if that makes any sense)

 

[deleted244469]

Go sit yourself in the lab and study for hours.

I also used a technique by remembering the first letter of a bone/muscle in a certain order and then just repeating that mentally when I needed to identify (if that makes any sense)

So your saying Mnemonics? Is using mnemonics a bad idea or a "crutch"? Will it be benefical?

 

[armybound]

mnemonics make med school possible
turns out all my patients trust me, and some lovers try positions that they can't handle. screw the lawyers, save a patient.

 

[aggie08]

mnemonics make med school possible
turns out all my patients trust me, and some couples try positions that they can't handle. screw the lawyers, save a patient.

here's one for the skull

old (OPTIC canal)
fat (superior orbital FISSURE)
round (foramen ROTUNDUM)
oliver (foramen OVALE)
shot (foramen SPINOSUM)
little (foramen LACERUM)
carson (CAROTID canal)
after (internal ACOUSTIC meatus)
jacking (JUGULAR foramen)
henry's (HYPOGLOSSAL canal)
money (foramen MAGNUM)


You're welcome, OP - I just gave you all your foramen and fissure in order from top to bottom. If you're against mnemonics you better pick a new post-grad. 🙂

 

[zayka]

A lot of anatomy terms "make sense", so if you understand a little bit of the latin, it makes it a lot easier. It's also a good learning tool to see the real thing if you have access to an anatomy lab or an anatomy museum.

Mnemonics are good, but I prefer the former methods - try to understand. Dirty ones are usually best, but I only use them for really random things that need memorization (e.g., which amino acids prefer the alpha confirmation the most - yeah, I had to learn this). It's kinda fun to make them up.

On the subject of neuroanatomy, here's a very famous dirty one for cranial nerves (I feel inappropriate to post it on a message board, but here): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mnemonics_for_the_cranial_nerves

 

[deleted244469]

here's one for the skull

old (OPTIC canal)
fat (superior orbital FISSURE)
round (foramen ROTUNDUM)
oliver (foramen OVALE)
shot (foramen SPINOSUM)
little (foramen LACERUM)
carson (CAROTID canal)
after (internal ACOUSTIC meatus)
jacking (JUGULAR foramen)
henry's (HYPOGLOSSAL canal)
money (foramen MAGNUM)


You're welcome, OP - I just gave you all your foramen and fissure in order from top to bottom. If you're against mnemonics you better pick a new post-grad. 🙂

Wow! Thanks so much

Thanks for all the help everyone. I guess Mnemonics is the way to go.

 

[sustentacular]

Wow! Thanks so much

Thanks for all the help everyone. I guess Mnemonics is the way to go.

This is an old one but for when you get to the carpals:
(from proximolateral to mediodistal)

some - scaphoid
lovers - lunate
try - triquetral
positions - pisiform
that - trapezium
they - trapezoid
can't - capitate
handle - hamate
(and then you have to wink to yourself 😉)

To keep the "t" bones straight just remember that try is TRIquetral (or triquetrum depending on the book you're looking at) and then trapezium and trapezoid are in alphabetical order.

 

[njbmd]

Most peoples brains can efficiently memorize material that is organized in smaller chunks. Divide up what you have to master and master the small chunks one at a time. Check off as you get through things. Organization is the key to mastery of any large volume of information. You will even find that the process of organization helps with memory too.

 

[armybound]

This is an old one but for when you get to the carpals:
(from proximolateral to mediodistal)

some - scaphoid
lovers - lunate
try - triquetral
positions - pisiform
that - trapezium
they - trapezoid
can't - capitate
handle - hamate
(and then you have to wink to yourself 😉)

To keep the "t" bones straight just remember that try is TRIquetral (or triquetrum depending on the book you're looking at) and then trapezium and trapezoid are in alphabetical order.

trapezium = by the thumb is how we remember it

 

[unique135]

I am doing same stuff right now. Understanding and connecting root latin/greek words helps with some muscular anatomy and overall physiology.