Online gross anatomy: useful before the class?

[fluoropHore]

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Are gross anatomy sites like http://www.onlinedissector.com/ and http://ect.downstate.edu/courseware/haonline/index.htm useful for a student before they start school? Would it cut down on the stress a bit during the real thing, or just a waste of time?

 

[DrWily]

Are gross anatomy sites like http://www.onlinedissector.com/ and http://ect.downstate.edu/courseware/haonline/index.htm useful for a student before they start school? Would it cut down on the stress a bit during the real thing, or just a waste of time?

Nope. Chill out and enjoy your time off until you start school. You'll be fine. I never took anatomy and I'm keeping up well.

 

[MedPR]

Yes go ahead and learn all you can.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[abolt18]

Personally I imagine it would be very beneficial. I took Anatomy and I'm now in Advanced Anatomy and I really appreciate the knowledge base. In advanced anatomy, I get to teach the anatomy lab and perform the dissections on the cadavers to teach to the current anatomy students. While I don't know that this will give me a huge advantage, I do think this will allow me to focus more on other things in school and waste less time in the anatomy lab.

 

[DrWily]

Personally I imagine it would be very beneficial. I took Anatomy and I'm now in Advanced Anatomy and I really appreciate the knowledge base. In advanced anatomy, I get to teach the anatomy lab and perform the dissections on the cadavers to teach to the current anatomy students. While I don't know that this will give me a huge advantage, I do think this will allow me to focus more on other things in school and waste less time in the anatomy lab.

The little edge you might garner will disappear quickly. The time invested is not worth the reward. What you may do in one-two months, we do in 1-2 weeks. Majority of time spent in anatomy lab is cleaning. Cleaning fascia, fat, vessels, attachments. We have prior undergrad anatomy TAs in our class and they are all on the same page as the rest of us who didn't have any prior anatomy knowledge.

If you enjoy learning anatomy, then go all out. If you're only looking for an edge in medical school, it's not worth it.

 

[MedPR]

The little edge you might garner will disappear quickly. The time invested is not worth the reward. What you may do in one-two months, we do in 1-2 weeks. Majority of time spent in anatomy lab is cleaning. Cleaning fascia, fat, vessels, attachments. We have prior undergrad anatomy TAs in our class and they are all on the same page as the rest of us who didn't have any prior anatomy knowledge.

If you enjoy learning anatomy, then go all out. If you're only looking for an edge in medical school, it's not worth it.

You're just a grumpy M1. What do you know

 

[DrWily]

You're just a grumpy M1. What do you know

I'm not grumpy. I'm ecstatic cuz I finished anatomy lab forever!!!!111

 

[abolt18]

I learn it because I love it, but I can see what you're saying. I just spent a couple hours cleaning up a ton of nerves (i.e. picking out fat), tomorrow we cut out the clavicle to clearly present the brachial plexus and we will be breaking out a section of the spine to display the spinal cord. It's an enjoyable break from all my microbiology labs 😀

 

[DrWily]

Just curious: how long do you guys spend on a section? I'm asking cuz I didn't take anatomy during undergrad

Thorax, Pelvis, Abdominal, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, Head/Neck

 

[abolt18]

The way our undergrad teaches it (and I'm only referring to the labs I teach, not the lecture which goes more into depth with function etc).
Week 1: body regions + all the terms (superior, inferior, anterior, posterior, distal, proximal, etc.) and other back ground stuff.
Week 2: Appendicular Skeleton; all the appendicular bones, joints, and all the landmarks on them.
Week 3: Axial Skeleton; skull, vertebrae, ribs, sternum and all landmarks
Week 4: Appendicular muscles; including muscle attachments and functions
Week 5: Axial muscles; including attachments and function
Week 6: PNS; brachial plexus + nerves throughout the arms and legs
Week 7: CNS and special senses; brain, cranial nerves, eyes, ears, all that other good stuff.

It continues but you get the idea. The lab is kind of broken down from superficial to deep so that we can do our dissections in that order. All the Advanced Anatomy students teach the lab and perform assigned dissections. It's a lot of fun! The instructors of the lecture just guide us through dissections and answer questions, but they generally keep their hands off and leave it all to us.

 

[MedPR]

Just curious: how long do you guys spend on a section? I'm asking cuz I didn't take anatomy during undergrad

Thorax, Pelvis, Abdominal, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, Head/Neck

My A&P course was 2 semesters long. First semester was mainly anatomy with some physio. Second semester was the opposite. The amount of info was pretty low though. I had never heard of the multifidus muscle until recently. We also skipped the vast majority of flexors/extensors and smaller vessels. Also skipped all nerve plexi. Also did not have to know innervation except for muscles of mastication and muscles of facial expression.

So essentially an entire semester to learn all the bones, the major muscles plus origin/insertion/action, and major vessels. Seems silly now that I think about it.

 

[toxicwombat]

This has been asked many times previously, and the answer is always the same: the only people who advocate "pre-learning" are pre-meds.

Makes sense to me. I would never advocate any sort of "pre-learning" to pre-pre-me... uh, high school kids.

 

[UBCvan]

as someone else said, it may be beneficial for the first 1-2 weeks. that's all. so take the time off and travel before it's too late and there's no comin back

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

This has been asked many times previously, and the answer is always the same: the only people who advocate "pre-learning" are pre-meds.

Makes sense to me. I would never advocate any sort of "pre-learning" to pre-pre-me... uh, high school kids.

Idk, I would advise my past self to have pre-studied high level math. It would have benefitted me for the better in the long run.

Either way, I know some medical schools like OSU are actually advocating for people taking anatomy before going in.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

as someone else said, it may be beneficial for the first 1-2 weeks. that's all. so take the time off and travel before it's too late and there's no comin back

Did you take anatomy as an undergrad?

 

[HalfListic]

This has been asked many times previously, and the answer is always the same: the only people who advocate "pre-learning" are pre-meds.

Makes sense to me. I would never advocate any sort of "pre-learning" to pre-pre-me... uh, high school kids.

not really as bad as you think...nothing wrong with preparing for one of the more taxing classes in med school.

Id say, if you've never taken Anatomy, you should seriously consider becoming familiar with it before school starts. It will just make life easier first year.

Idk, I would advise my past self to have pre-studied high level math. It would have benefitted me for the better in the long run.

Either way, I know some medical schools like OSU are actually advocating for people taking anatomy before going in.

I agree...I also have heard of a program up at western (in oregon) that allows you to take anatomy the summer before. Then, if you do well enough, you get credit for the course and can be a paid TA for it as an M1.

Awesome idea.



*I had a fairly extensive anatomy class, with cadavers, in my undergrad, so I wont be spending too much time on anatomy before hand. But, I have been reviewing biochem here and there and its not adding a bit of stress to my current life...so why not!

 

[NeuroLAX]

Thorax, Pelvis, Abdominal, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, Head/Neck

Those words...all in a row together = 👎

Thank God those days are behind me.