Netter's Anatomy Flash Cards

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gschl1234

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Has anyone used this and would you recommend using it the summer before MS1 to help prepare for gross anatomy? If not, any other suggestions?

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No, I wouldn't use Netter Flash cards for initial study. Buy the standard Netter book and just start looking through that. Just concentrate on the larger structures and the big picture. Wait until anatomy to start learning the detail. If you want a strategy I would learn the larger muscle groups of arms, legs, trunk, etc. Then move onto innervation, especially brachial and lumbar plexus. By the end of anatomy you'll even remember several of the page numbers from Netter's.

The flash cards are ok to review after you've taken anatomy. They don't have enough detail for primary study. They are also available on Pocket PC and Palm, bit expensive at $50. The screen on the Pocket PC is much better for the flash cards than the Palm (I have a Palm with the flash cards).
 
I used the Netter cards this year and they helped a lot. Just realize that they don't have as much detail as you'll need to know. They should work well just to get you thinking this summer though. Also, you could put them in a ziplock bag and keep them in the cooler full of adult beverages that you keep beside you on the beach. (You are planning on spending this summer on a beach with a cooler, aren't you?)
 
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The Netter flash cards are ok to use, but the real question is why waste your summer studying? I am willing to bet that if you took a pole of current medical students who studied anatomy the summer before MSI that greater than 90% would say it did not matter as far as their grade in the class went. Don't give in to gunnerism! :thumbup:
 
gschl1234 said:
Has anyone used this and would you recommend using it the summer before MS1 to help prepare for gross anatomy? If not, any other suggestions?

My advice...don't look at anything other than a novel. There will be plenty of time to get sick of staring at the Netters during the year. Why is everyone so concerned with getting a bit ahead. I am not chastising you in particular, but my advice is to not look at anything related to medical school prior to starting. Chill
 
mooklyster said:
My advice...don't look at anything other than a novel. There will be plenty of time to get sick of staring at the Netters during the year. Why is everyone so concerned with getting a bit ahead. I am not chastising you in particular, but my advice is to not look at anything related to medical school prior to starting. Chill


Yes! Buy the flashcards when you start anatomy (they're great), but take it easy this summer.
 
mooklyster said:
My advice...don't look at anything other than a novel. There will be plenty of time to get sick of staring at the Netters during the year. Why is everyone so concerned with getting a bit ahead. I am not chastising you in particular, but my advice is to not look at anything related to medical school prior to starting. Chill

I'm not trying to get ahead! Good grief! I'm really behind and I know that I can't take the pace at med school. Most kids majored in biology and think things like memorization are no big deal. I hate it when people say "it's just memorization." Y'all don't realize that there are lots of people who haven't had 4 years to hone those skills. I took 1 anatomy class this year and it just about killed me. The whole thing was a blur and I remember virtually nothing. The only thing I learned from the experience is that just passing a class like that takes a set of skills I don't have which is why I need the summer to somewhat catch up. It was a very humbling experience. Thanks for your advice on the cards.

PS My biology is really weak so in case it wasn't clear, I'm years behind the average matriculant. I don't know whether at your college there were kids who came from disadvantaged high schools? They were pretty much totally unprepared for the pace at college? Well, I'm like that, except for med school because I wasn't premed through undergrad. I only decided to become a doctor years after graduation.
 
gschl1234 I sent you a PM :)
 
i pm'd you, too :)
 
touche ;)

but you know what they say about imitation and flattery... :p
 
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't attacking you. I too am a "non-traditional". Just the flow will come, but get ready for the work. A little review of anatomy is not going to offset the pace in any way. Save the stress.
Also, don;t be looking for reasons to fail...ie disadvantaged high school etc. A medical school accepted you, that means you are as qualified as anyone to be there. Going in thinking you are below anyone is starting with a defeates attitude. Do not fall into that trap. There are times when it will feel like med school is sucking the life out of you as it is, don't help it.
Again, trying to encourage, not disparage
 
gschl1234--you will be fine. The bio majors aren't prepared for med school, either. My class is about half science, half non-science, but you couldn't tell who was who after a month or so. Unless your school has given you explicit information on anatomy for the summer, you are probably going to expend a lot of effort on something that won't pay off.

It's good that you have no illusions about how much work you will have to do--you are already ahead of the biochem majors expecting to coast through MSI. :)

Enjoy your summer!
 
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mooklyster said:
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't attacking you. I too am a "non-traditional". Just the flow will come, but get ready for the work. A little review of anatomy is not going to offset the pace in any way. Save the stress.
Also, don;t be looking for reasons to fail...ie disadvantaged high school etc. A medical school accepted you, that means you are as qualified as anyone to be there. Going in thinking you are below anyone is starting with a defeates attitude. Do not fall into that trap. There are times when it will feel like med school is sucking the life out of you as it is, don't help it.
Again, trying to encourage, not disparage

I'm really sorry if I came off sounding defensive. I just wanted the people who were saying that "studying before MS1 is a waste of time" to know what my background is. It seemed a good idea to have some context since in my original post I didn't tell you guys anything about me.
 
Don't assume all bio majors are great at memorizing things. I was a bio major and never had to memorize stuff like I've had to in med school. I find it really difficult and am just now getting better at it. Also, don't think that because you are not straight out of college that you are disadvantaged. In my experience, it's the people who are older than the rest of us that are totally anal about studying and end up making great grades because of it. Don't worry.
 
Many people say not to study and that you should laze around all summer, but if you love to learn and you want to be prepared to do your best at school then by all means study and learn. This is serious stuff we are learning. The compilation of this knowledge that you gain will help you save peoples lives. Of course one little detail in anatomy will not make a big difference, but it is the combination of the knowlege over 4 years that will. My opinion is that as long as your priorities are straight and you still have a life go ahead and study anatomy if thats what you want to do. Before I started school everyone told me to veg out over the summer and that is pretty much what I did. That was a huge mistake for me. My study habbits went to pot and when school started I had practically forgoten how to learn and med school is not easy.

Anyway back to the netter cards- They are pretty good especially if you have already had some anatomy. I think they are a good review and being familiar with netter plates will help you tremendously when anatomy begins. Have a strong grasp on things will also help you to see the bigger pictures and how everything relates functionally (this knowledge is essential in everything-path, cardio, repiratory, musculoskeletal, neuro,...). Good luck with the studying.
 
My school, MCW, just sent an email to all Fall M1s stating to brush up on biochem and anatomy this summer before class starts. Most of you guys say not to worry and have fun, which I planned on, but now I'm worried. BTW...do we need to recall anything from O chem? I heard that we never use it?
 
I will definitely be studying this summer. I have never had anatomy so I figure if I can memorize the bones (done), muscles (working on) and some innervations, it will make it that much easier once the course begins. Plus I shall memorize the major pathways in Biochemistry and how they intermingle. I really love to memorize/learn new facts so I don't feel it will be a waste of a summer. I'm not a gunner, although I do want to graduate top of my class and enjoy working 80 hours a week. I just want to be the best doctor I possibly can be for my patients.


Herp
 
you're obviously a bunch of gunners and nothing is going to change that, so go ahead buy your Netter cards, Lippincotts and baby Moores, hide in a library all summer and memorize your brains out. you'll do great on all your tests, but unfortunately it won't make up for your lack of personality.
 
kissit said:
you're obviously a bunch of gunners and nothing is going to change that, so go ahead buy your Netter cards, Lippincotts and baby Moores, hide in a library all summer and memorize your brains out. you'll do great on all your tests, but unfortunately it won't make up for your lack of personality.


Just because we enjoy learning and studying ahead to make the journey through medical school that much more enjoyable, doesn't mean we are gunners. A gunner is an individual who only looks out for themselves, even at the expense of others. They lack humility, inherent confidence, honest bedside manner and respect. On the other hand, many of the individuals who post in this forum and would like to study ahead may be doing so to ensure thy are the best possible doctors they can be for their patients. By going through the information once ahead of time, they are more apt to retain the information upon review. In addition, most have personalities and will probably go out of their way to ensure that their patients' needs are satisfied.

In my case, I not only study ahead of time, I work two fulltime jobs, go hiking every week and regularly get together with friends. Some people simply enjoy doing more and sleeping less. It doesn't make us gunners, just eager life participants.

Herp
 
gschl1234 said:
Has anyone used this and would you recommend using it the summer before MS1 to help prepare for gross anatomy? If not, any other suggestions?

DON"T STUDY THE SUMMER BEFORE MS1. I'm almost done with my MS1 year now, and I did NOT study before classes started. I've done fine in my classes...especially anatomy....and I'm burnt out. Studying the summer before MS1 will likely leave you feeling burnt out sooner rather than later during your M1 year.

Anyway, I think Netter's flash cards are a waste of money. I know someone who bought them....she used them once, and regrets spending the money. Just go with Netter's Atlas, and if you want to test yourself, just cover the labels with post-it notes. As for other sources, I recommend Rohen's Atlas, BRS Anatomy and/or Moore's Essential Clinical Anatomy.
 
Studying before school starts is a waste of time. Everything you covered willl be covered in half the 1st day of class. Enjoy your summer. We covered all of college in less than a week!!!! Netters flash cards are nice if you have time to use them. There are alot of good resources out there the problem is in med school you dont have time to look at everything. Cant go wrong with the BRS or High Yield books bc they will all help with with Step 1. I had both of these books for gross and they helped alot.

ECU Med 07
 
You know what, I wasn't a bio major, and the first year of med school was the hardes thing ever for me. Now I am finally used to it and am doing well in most of my classes. The first year of med school is just review for those bio majors.... :luck:
I didn't like the flashcards, and didn't use them much, but I am sure that if you went through them all, it would definitely help. Good luck! Don't kill yourself studying during the summer though. Just use them as a preview. I think for a non-bio major the most helpful thing to do would be to read one of those books on how to study for med school. :)
 
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