Pre studying 4 Anatomy & Learning Latin

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Student 1

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Hi there,
I just need your experience in studying anatomy. Since Anatomy is all about Latin, I think the best way to do well at it is to learn the Latin roots related. What do you think? and if you agree is there is Any useful Latin dictionaries, good websites for learning Latin root, good iPad App for anatomy, best way to pre study for it
Anything useful you post would be appreciated
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Student 1 said:
Hi there,
I just need your experience in studying anatomy. Since Anatomy is all about Latin, I think the best way to do well at it is to learn the Latin roots related. What do you think? and if you agree is there is Any useful Latin dictionaries, good websites for learning Latin root, good iPad App for anatomy, best way to pre study for it
Anything useful you post would be appreciated
Click to expand...

No, anatomy isn't all about Latin. It's all about landmarks. Latin helps if you want to figure out general medical terminology, but for anatomy, if you want to do well, the best thing you can do is listen to your lectures and understand everything that the prof talks about, then memorize Netter's atlas until you can name every structure. Also, spend some time with your cadaver or with Rohen's atlas so you know what stuff looks like for your practicals. If you still have some free time look over the UMich anatomy website and do practice questions, and also read over the blue boxes in Moore's for clinical applications.

You don't really need to know a bunch of Latin just for anatomy. The most useful roots you'll come across are things like antero-, postero-, ab-, ad-, intra-, inter-, hyper-, hypo-. Most of those you should know already.

My advice: don't pre-study for med school... you don't want to be already burned out when you start
 
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Agree with qmat. You'll learn what you need to know once medical school starts. Enjoy your time out and don't burn out before med school even starts. The prefixes and suffixes are quite simple.
 
Latin did nothing to help me learn anatomy for med school. Unless your prof teaches in latin, you can just memorize the names like everyone else in the class and do just fine.

but then again when you're pre-M1 you don't believe a word the grown ups tell you and then you look back and go "oh...maybe they did know what they were talking about"
 
red10 said:
Latin did nothing to help me learn anatomy for med school. Unless your prof teaches in latin, you can just memorize the names like everyone else in the class and do just fine.

but then again when you're pre-M1 you don't believe a word the grown ups tell you and then you look back and go "oh...maybe they did know what they were talking about"
Click to expand...

😛 Yes I hear this advice a lot. It's the summer before I start, and I'm pretty antsy. I'm not the kind of person that can just sit there and do nothing. I actually do have Netters (okay don't shoot me, but also First Aid along with 9-10 other books recommended for the USMLE/classes) so I can look over it when class starts and figure out what's important and what's not). I've been doing some pretty light studying - that actually helps me relax a bit cause I feel like I have all the time in the world atm and there's no pressure.

I also have a pretty good memory, so I'm not worried about forgetting things. Also, I think this will lessen the pressure during school if I'm already familiar with some of the material.

I don't feel burned out at all. I'm working full time, spend time with friends, go out to enjoy the scenery every so often (<---is a bit of a foodie), but I am planning to quit 3 weeks before school starts so I have a real break. I did visit my family a week or so ago and told them about the med school acceptance- that was draining as they think I'm ruining my life. That was probably the only thing that was a bit of a downer since getting in.

So you would still advise against pre-studying?
 
Lbgem said:
😛 Yes I hear this advice a lot. It's the summer before I start, and I'm pretty antsy. I'm not the kind of person that can just sit there and do nothing. I actually do have Netters (okay don't shoot me, but also First Aid along with 9-10 other books recommended for the USMLE/classes) so I can look over it when class starts and figure out what's important and what's not). I've been doing some pretty light studying - that actually helps me relax a bit cause I feel like I have all the time in the world atm and there's no pressure.

I also have a pretty good memory, so I'm not worried about forgetting things. Also, I think this will lessen the pressure during school if I'm already familiar with some of the material.

I don't feel burned out at all. I'm working full time, spend time with friends, go out to enjoy the scenery every so often (<---is a bit of a foodie), but I am planning to quit 3 weeks before school starts so I have a real break. I did visit my family a week or so ago and told them about the med school acceptance- that was draining as they think I'm ruining my life. That was probably the only thing that was a bit of a downer since getting in.

So you would still advise against pre-studying?
Click to expand...

Obviously, everybody's different. Sounds like what you're doing is working for you.

Like you, I also feel more at ease when I'm at least doing some light studying. I took other people's advice and did a bunch of mindless stuff for a good 2 weeks, and it wasn't my cup of tea exactly. Oh well, at least I got it out of the way.

Probably the best universal advice that I've heard is to just not go ape s#$t with the pre-studying, but to stay balanced and healthy and do whatever makes you happy!
 
lol'd hard at learning latin dude. If you're gonna pre-study be efficient about it...
 
Bro if you don't have First Aid memorized by the time medical school starts... I'm sorry but you'll have to do residency in family medicine in cow country
 
Lbgem said:
😛 Yes I hear this advice a lot. It's the summer before I start, and I'm pretty antsy. I'm not the kind of person that can just sit there and do nothing. I actually do have Netters (okay don't shoot me, but also First Aid along with 9-10 other books recommended for the USMLE/classes) so I can look over it when class starts and figure out what's important and what's not). I've been doing some pretty light studying - that actually helps me relax a bit cause I feel like I have all the time in the world atm and there's no pressure.

I also have a pretty good memory, so I'm not worried about forgetting things. Also, I think this will lessen the pressure during school if I'm already familiar with some of the material.

I don't feel burned out at all. I'm working full time, spend time with friends, go out to enjoy the scenery every so often (<---is a bit of a foodie), but I am planning to quit 3 weeks before school starts so I have a real break. I did visit my family a week or so ago and told them about the med school acceptance- that was draining as they think I'm ruining my life. That was probably the only thing that was a bit of a downer since getting in.

So you would still advise against pre-studying?
Click to expand...

yes I still would advise against it. Because right now you're reading through things and either going into too much depth or not enough. Until you get to school and see/hear what your profs think is important, you're probably studying the wrong things.
Looking back, if I had prestudied, it wouldn't have made an ounce of difference in how I did that first unit.

Obviously you're going to continue studying either way, but honestly if you're an antsy person, read a non medical book. Or read a just for fun medical book like house of god or Emergency. Learn to knit. Do rosetta stone spanish. go play xbox with your friends! anything!
 
Student 1 said:
Hi there,
I just need your experience in studying anatomy. Since Anatomy is all about Latin, I think the best way to do well at it is to learn the Latin roots related. What do you think? and if you agree is there is Any useful Latin dictionaries, good websites for learning Latin root, good iPad App for anatomy, best way to pre study for it
Anything useful you post would be appreciated
Click to expand...

I absolutely can not recommend against studying Latin strongly enough unless you just have a burning passion for dead languages.

Having been through anatomy, I can tell you that anything that has an interesting or useful root wood can have the name's meaning inferred by most people who like reading books in English just because of word similarities OR the teacher will make a point of it.

Hell, sometime's you'll stumble across the meaning by mistake.

"Salpingitis? What's that? Let's check Wikipedia for what a salpinx is...

hmm

Apparently salpingitis is the inflammation of... a kind of ancient trumpet?"
 
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UAAWolf said:
lol'd hard at learning latin dude. If you're gonna pre-study be efficient about it...
Click to expand...

so what's the efficient way to "prestudy" anatomy?

I boguht a set of netters flashcards but I don't know where to begin. Just dig in and start memorizing random cards?
 
red10 said:
yes I still would advise against it. Because right now you're reading through things and either going into too much depth or not enough. Until you get to school and see/hear what your profs think is important, you're probably studying the wrong things.
Looking back, if I had prestudied, it wouldn't have made an ounce of difference in how I did that first unit.

Obviously you're going to continue studying either way, but honestly if you're an antsy person, read a non medical book. Or read a just for fun medical book like house of god or Emergency. Learn to knit. Do rosetta stone spanish. go play xbox with your friends! anything!
Click to expand...

I've read three non med books in the last week (chick lit - Something Borrowed, and The Hunger Games), along with a how to speak spanish like a native book (title eludes me atm). I actually have the rosetta stone in spanish, polish and chinese sitting on my computer atm, and play around with them every once in a while, that'll probably be more in depth when I quit my job. I went out to dinner a couple days ago to a really fab place with a good friend, doing some work for work this weekend, and actually I play Rift with friends occasionally. Spent time with friends catching up on all the episodes of Mentalist, and will probably see a movie in the near future.

I will also probably spend a lot more time with my cooks illustrated once I quit this research job.

I've been taking random books with me to read on the bus ride to work (HY Cell and Molecular Bio today for example).

I can understand what you mean though I will try to do more of the non school stuff. I did actually take some med school classes (Physio, Histo, Immunology) as a grad student and that was a completely different level of studying/level of info compared to college so I want to think I have an idea what will be required. I will admit no idea on anatomy however.

Thanks for the input though red, I will try to do what you recommend but yes only so much non school stuff I can do before I get anxious. I just want to do the best I can for the USMLE/med school, as it's been a long road getting here and I don't want to screw it up.
 
Last edited:
patel2 said:
so what's the efficient way to "prestudy" anatomy?

I boguht a set of netters flashcards but I don't know where to begin. Just dig in and start memorizing random cards?
Click to expand...

I've heard muscle insertions and origins is a safe bet... (grain of salt, incoming MS1 here)
 
red10 said:
Latin did nothing to help me learn anatomy for med school. Unless your prof teaches in latin, you can just memorize the names like everyone else in the class and do just fine.

but then again when you're pre-M1 you don't believe a word the grown ups tell you and then you look back and go "oh...maybe they did know what they were talking about"
Click to expand...
May I receive your blessings oh sagacious elders of SDN?

I've been advised by my brother (who's an M2 now) to only study the things will put me on par with my classmates. I never took Biochem or microbio in undergrad, which is a staple for bio majors. So, I've been doing some light studying in that area. Also, I'm volunteering at a research lab 3-4 times a week.
 
What I did summer before MS1 was memorize all of first aid. Then i thought it would be a good idea to memorize all of Netter's as well. Then just for good measure I read all of Robin's just to make sure I had a real handle on things. Then I got to my first day of schoooooooollllll, and realized I had another 4 years of this to go. Dude chill out. bang bang bang. (no one likes a gunner, especially a pre gunner hahaha) GO out have fun. Read non-medical books. Hang with your friends, cause once school starts the people you hang with pre med school tend to not give 2 ****s what you are doing, and it get's kind of hard to relate with what they are doing. So if studying all the time is your thing, you will get plenty of it in a couple months. But for now I suggest doing nothing productive because later on that option might not be available.
 
there's just no point in studying, no matter how you slice it. you'll realize that fact on day 1. it's hard to explain.
 
saishravan said:
May I receive your blessings oh sagacious elders of SDN?

I've been advised by my brother (who's an M2 now) to only study the things will put me on par with my classmates. I never took Biochem or microbio in undergrad, which is a staple for bio majors. So, I've been doing some light studying in that area. Also, I'm volunteering at a research lab 3-4 times a week.
Click to expand...
Biochem in undergrad and biochem in med school are completely different. Don't study it until you are introduced to it.

Honestly, I wouldn't study anything. If you absolutely feel the need to look at something, look at old physiology notes you have, its going to come up and you should be familiar enough with it for it to not be a complete waste of time.
 
For the love of god..study anything except anatomy. It is about as useful as a kickball to the testes.

If you must study, pick up RR Biochem or BRS biochem. Neither will probably make much sense to you though.
 
Frozen said:
For the love of god..study anything except anatomy. It is about as useful as a kickball to the testes.

If you must study, pick up RR Biochem or BRS biochem. Neither will probably make much sense to you though.
Click to expand...

Pre studying for MS1 would be hard. Don't read review books...they are meant for people who know it and are REVIEWING.

Don't really have any good advice for incoming MS1s...be ready to work hard day 1 even if it starts slow. don't get behind. enjoy summer but mentally prepare yourself to study when school starts
 
red10 said:
Isn't it amazing how many people overlook this simple concept? haha
Click to expand...

I definitely did at the beginning of MS1 😀

Yes you don't retain everything from a huge textbook...but if you read it and THEN go over the review book you retain it 10x better.
 
Lbgem said:
I've read three non med books in the last week (chick lit - Something Borrowed, and The Hunger Games), along with a how to speak spanish like a native book (title eludes me atm). I actually have the rosetta stone in spanish, polish and chinese sitting on my computer atm, and play around with them every once in a while, that'll probably be more in depth when I quit my job. I went out to dinner a couple days ago to a really fab place with a good friend, doing some work for work this weekend, and actually I play Rift with friends occasionally. Spent time with friends catching up on all the episodes of Mentalist, and will probably see a movie in the near future.

I will also probably spend a lot more time with my cooks illustrated once I quit this research job.

I've been taking random books with me to read on the bus ride to work (HY Cell and Molecular Bio today for example).

I can understand what you mean though I will try to do more of the non school stuff. I did actually take some med school classes (Physio, Histo, Immunology) as a grad student and that was a completely different level of studying/level of info compared to college so I want to think I have an idea what will be required. I will admit no idea on anatomy however.

Thanks for the input though red, I will try to do what you recommend but yes only so much non school stuff I can do before I get anxious. I just want to do the best I can for the USMLE/med school, as it's been a long road getting here and I don't want to screw it up.
Click to expand...

.
 
Forget Latin, I'm learning Aramaic so I can ask properly ask Jesus to get me through med school.
 
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