Take anatomy before medical school

[MattSmith45]

Taking anatomy before medical school is going to make anatomy SO much easier. I promise you. Don't listen to people here that say it won't really help. Anatomy is a time sinker and if you have taken it before (especially 1-2 years before you matriculate), your life is going to be so much easier during the 1st year of med school.

Take anatomy. Better yet, take a dissection lab if you can also.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

No one says a quality anatomy class is useless. The general advice is to not worry about studying anatomy from textbooks the summer before medical school. My undergrad had a very high quality anatomy class and associated prosection lab and it did make my life easier in med school anatomy.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I had a friend who took graduate level anatomy and then medical school school anatomy. He said medical school anatomy was easier. So it definitely does give you a leg up and in some cases over prepares you.

 

[asdf123g]

how about anatomy without lab?

 

[Goro]

I agree!!!

Taking anatomy before medical school is going to make anatomy SO much easier. I promise you. Don't listen to people here that say it won't really help. Anatomy is a time sinker and if you have taken it before (especially 1-2 years before you matriculate), your life is going to be so much easier during the 1st year of med school.

Take anatomy. Better yet, take a dissection lab if you can also.

 

[MattSmith45]

how about anatomy without lab?

If you get familiar with a photographic atlas, you don't necessarily need to take lab.

 

[pericardium]

how about anatomy without lab?

I'm going to disagree with the above poster. I took anatomy with lab, where we had many prosections and I found lab to be far more rigorous.

 

[IslandStyle808]

If you get familiar with a photographic atlas, you don't necessarily need to take lab.

A photographic atlas is nowhere near enough to understand where certain parts of the body are (even looking at one cadaver is not enough). Plus being able to know how to dissect will save time in medical school. I have done one year of graduate anatomy and the depth we went at will make one feel like vomiting.

 

[asdf123g]

sooo anatomy without lat at a CC is pointless?

 

[SLC]

No one says a quality anatomy class is useless. The general advice is to not worry about studying anatomy from textbooks the summer before medical school. My undergrad had a very high quality anatomy class and associated prosection lab and it did make my life easier in med school anatomy.

UofU right?

Dr. Nielson's class is legendary and basically made Anatomy in med-school a non-issue for me. Hardly had to study and came out as the top student in the anatomy course.

I highly recommend any Utah peeps to try to take that class if at all possible!

 

[MightBeACylon439]

If I could go back in time when I decided to take molecular genetics instead of anatomy, I would use any means necessary to get my past self to take anatomy.

See in med school you have so many other things they pile on your plate other than just class. With just two years to teach you all the necessary didactics as well as prepare you for rotations your third and fourth year, time is at a premium and many days are filled until 5pm.

With that said Anatomy is a BEAR of a class. It's not just that you have to memorize an incredible amount of structures- its that the names are all of latin/greek origin, so its almost like learning another language (ever heard of a Pes Anserinus? Neither had I until 3 days ago, now know that, the three structures that are also named based on a dead/foreign language that are associated with it, what they do, their attachments, nervous and blood supply and whether there are any structures that run superior/inferior/posterior/anterior/superficial/deep to it/them. Remember that word still? I hope so, you have an ID quiz that it'll be on tomorrow and you have to be able to pull it from memory THATS RIGHT, no multiple choice on the ID quiz...also don't forget about mandatory OMM lab and the histology and immunology quizzes you have the next day). Just knowing the terminology is a major leg up, and can leave more time for knowing the important things like what the structure actually DOES as well as what can happen when something goes wrong (thats right I forgot, you also have to know clinical consequences of these things...you are in this to be a Physician after all).

So long story short...TAKE ANATOMY.

 

[67552931811]

Take as many upper division bio courses as humanly possible. I am 100% dead serious.

 

[Gandyy]

So if I study Netter's Anatomy Book latest edition for an entire semester beforehand, that wont help because I'm not taking a class?

 

[Dr. Death]

So if I study Netter's Anatomy Book latest edition for an entire semester beforehand, that wont help because I'm not taking a class?

If you have a cadaver in your basement then i think studying the anatomy book would be a very helpful aid. Seeing something in a book is so different from on a cadaver. They pick and choose specimens that show a particular muscle/landmark/nerve/etc very clearly. In most cadavers you will have some things easy to see and find and some more difficult. It is more valuable to probe through each muscle of the antebrachium and figure out for yourself which is which then it is to look at a labeled picture and attempt to bluntly memorize.

Edit:This is assuming you are going to attend a cadaver based medical school anatomy program

 

[Gandyy]

If you have a cadaver in your basement then i think studying the anatomy book would be a very helpful aid. Seeing something in a book is so different from on a cadaver. They pick and choose specimens that show a particular muscle/landmark/nerve/etc very clearly. In most cadavers you will have some things easy to see and find and some more difficult. It is more valuable to probe through each muscle of the antebrachium and figure out for yourself which is which then it is to look at a labeled picture and attempt to bluntly memorize.

Edit:This is assuming you are going to attend a cadaver based medical school anatomy program

At the moment I dont have any acceptances so I dont know what kind of cadavers I will be using in the future if any at all.

Yea, I may not look at the anatomy book then.

 

[GrapesofRath]

This is entirely dependent on class and professor I feel like. I had a neuroanatomy professor who used to teach medical school classes who taught our undergrad class and told us 85% of the neuro you will need to know in medical school will be taught in this class(she taught more than anatomy even though that was the class title). THAT kind of class is helpful and was the type of class even in undergrad that required you to study every single day. I don't imagine nearly all anatomy classes are that thorough though and have professors with an inside knowledge of what you need to learn in medical school and tailor their class to that. I will those I know who took her class and are in medical school now confirm what she said.

Note this is very different from blindly studying from textbooks independently.

 

[MightBeACylon439]

At the moment I dont have any acceptances so I dont know what kind of cadavers I will be using in the future if any at all.

Yea, I may not look at the anatomy book then.

If you have the cash, take an online anatomy class and ace it. Something that will force you to actually know and memorize the material before the flame is really under your fingertips. Something like UNE or CSU (colorado) would be good.

 

[deleted158872]

If you have a cadaver in your basement then i think studying the anatomy book would be a very helpful aid. Seeing something in a book is so different from on a cadaver. They pick and choose specimens that show a particular muscle/landmark/nerve/etc very clearly. In most cadavers you will have some things easy to see and find and some more difficult. It is more valuable to probe through each muscle of the antebrachium and figure out for yourself which is which then it is to look at a labeled picture and attempt to bluntly memorize.

Edit:This is assuming you are going to attend a cadaver based medical school anatomy program

some people said that cadaver lab isn't very helpful because fresh organs/structures look completely different when you're in the OR for example... agree/disagree?

 

[Dr. Death]

Agree that they look different. Disagree that it isn't helpful. At my school we get new cadavers every semester, but for some reason we have some that are 15-20 years old. The fresh ones are much much more helpful because they haven't lost their color or structure. But you can definitely learn all the important cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, nervous, urinary, musculoskeletal and reproductive structures from cadavers. I haven't seen many surgeries so I can't speak to if it is helpful in the OR. But in cadaver based anatomy programs (Do all med schools have this?) I think having a good foundation is a huge help.

 

[deleted158872]

But in cadaver based anatomy programs (Do all med schools have this?) I think having a good foundation is a huge help.

not all med schools have cadaver labs. some have virtual anatomy lab.

 

[Bones 2020]

My advisor said not to take it because I'll take it in med school anyway... I regret that now. Should I take it before matriculation then? Two of the schools I applied to I know have anatomy i can take the summer before starting, but everyone says not to study for anything during that summer. What should I, and others like me do?

 

[Mti43]

Just out of curiosity what is all involved in anatomy in med school? I have had general anatomy and a specific musculoskeletal anatomy. General was mainly just all the structures where the latter was all origin,insertion, innervation, nerve plexuses and all actions. I would imagine it's pretty much these just crammed into one would I be correct in this assumption?

 

[MightBeACylon439]

some people said that cadaver lab isn't very helpful because fresh organs/structures look completely different when you're in the OR for example... agree/disagree?

Cadaver lab is extremely helpful. If you are having trouble remembering the pathway that a certain nerve or artery, nothing will make it stick in your mind better than digging through the fascia of a dead person for a few hours until a professor will accept what you found and let you go for the day.

My advisor said not to take it because I'll take it in med school anyway... I regret that now. Should I take it before matriculation then? Two of the schools I applied to I know have anatomy i can take the summer before starting, but everyone says not to study for anything during that summer. What should I, and others like me do?

Most advisors suck, this one sure did. Don't take it the summer before starting, but if you can take it now or maybe next semester I would.

Just out of curiosity what is all involved in anatomy in med school? I have had general anatomy and a specific musculoskeletal anatomy. General was mainly just all the structures where the latter was all origin,insertion, innervation, nerve plexuses and all actions. I would imagine it's pretty much these just crammed into one would I be correct in this assumption?

Read my post above.

 

[yanks26dmb]

Taking anatomy before medical school is going to make anatomy SO much easier. I promise you. Don't listen to people here that say it won't really help. Anatomy is a time sinker and if you have taken it before (especially 1-2 years before you matriculate), your life is going to be so much easier during the 1st year of med school.

Take anatomy. Better yet, take a dissection lab if you can also.

Never took anatomy. Currently have highest anatomy grade in class.

I wouldn't say its imperative.... nor would I say it isn't helpful either.

 

[trev5150]

Never took anatomy. Currently have highest anatomy grade in class.

I wouldn't say its imperative.... nor would I say it isn't helpful either.

You might be further to the right of the bell than most. Perhaps you have a natural aptitude. Maybe you work harder than your peers.

My advice: Take whatever your wallet, schedule and stamina can handle. If you think it will help then it probably will. The psyche is pliable like that.

 

[itsogre]

any sort of course that introduces you to basic concepts of anatomy and physiology. also medical terminology is a good course to take (anything that introduces you to Latin word roots).

what is helping me in med school right now is having a basic (very very basic) understanding of physiology and medical terminology for my Structure and Development course (ie my anatomy and embryology block). Any anatomy I've learned in undergrad, I completely forgotten, but remembering concepts of physiology have helped me to re-learn human anatomy quicker and more in-depth (since it's easier to understand the structure-function relationship and easier to remember the anatomy, even at a superficial level).

so I concur with everyone who suggests taking anatomy if it's possible.

 

[itsogre]

My advisor said not to take it because I'll take it in med school anyway... I regret that now. Should I take it before matriculation then? Two of the schools I applied to I know have anatomy i can take the summer before starting, but everyone says not to study for anything during that summer. What should I, and others like me do?

what else do you have planned for the summer?
your family/SO should take priority over any pre-studying.
so should your health (mental and physical), finances, friendships, etc. summer pre-matriculation is the time to establish a good exercise schedule, learn how to balance a checkbook, and cook quick, nutritious, cheap meals.

sometimes there is an option at certain schools to complete a pre-matriculation program.

best pre-matriculation studying is studying learning theory and seeing if you can apply it to your learning style.

 

[IslandStyle808]

what else do you have planned for the summer?
.
best pre-matriculation studying is studying learning theory and seeing if you can apply it to your learning style.

QFT

Trying to find more effective means of learning is much better use of pre-matriculaton time than learning a subject (I'm being a little presumptuous here since I'm not a med student). I spent a good chunk of time trying to find learning techniques, some of which have helping my studying quite a bit (retention and prioritization of information).

 

[67552931811]

QFT

Trying to find more effective means of learning is much better use of pre-matriculaton time than learning a subject (I'm being a little presumptuous here since I'm not a med student). I spent a good chunk of time trying to find learning techniques, some of which have helping my studying quite a bit (retention and prioritization of information).

Honestly dude, until you are swimming upstream in the river of death known as medical school you won't really know how you learn best IN med school. How I learn best within the framework of who I am is not something that I can apply to med school classes cause, quite frankly, it's too time consuming. So, you have to find a balance between how you learn best and getting in as many passes as possible.

Unless you learn by way of auditory: then you are freaking golden

 

[Rekt]

sooo anatomy without lat at a CC is pointless?

I disagree. When you get to medical school, every second spent in lab, while you're slowly removing fat without tearing muscles or fascia for two hours straight, you begin to realize how much a waste of time anatomy lab is. As a dumb pre-med, you think dissection is awesome, but after the first day, you'd kill for a virtual anatomy class or even prosected cadavers.

 

[itsogre]

I disagree. When you get to medical school, every second spent in lab, while you're slowly removing fat without tearing muscles or fascia for two hours straight, you begin to realize how much a waste of time anatomy lab is. As a dumb pre-med, you think dissection is awesome, but after the first day, you'd kill for a virtual anatomy class or even prosected cadavers.

What schools do virtual anatomy?

virtual anatomy isn't a good way to teach anatomy, and no matter how much time it may save students, shouldn't be the way anatomy is taught for physicians. Prosections are a great supplement though.

 

[ortnakas]

Anatomy is the one thing I wish I would have had before medical school; even a dumbed-down undergrad version would have been helpful just to get some of the lingo down.

 

[osteohack10]

DO IT. It will make your first year that much smoother. I wish I had done it.

 

[Iridescent]

Yes, anatomy sucks. Really really badly. The more background you have in it, the better it'll be.

 

[Gandyy]

Well then, how are we supposed to study pre study anatomy without cadavers?

 

[ortnakas]

Well then, how are we supposed to study pre study anatomy without cadavers?

Even just hearing all the anatomy lingo would be helpful. An undergrad class where you get an idea of how autonomics work, how origins and attachments are laid out, and hearing lots of blood vessel names would be educational-- you won't retain it all, but you won't feel like you're learning a foreign language on top of learning science.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Well then, how are we supposed to study pre study anatomy without cadavers?

Read Rohen's... Seriously looking at Rohen's makes it a whole lot easier to know what to look for.

 

[AM508]

Taking a robust anatomy class in UG will not hurt at all. I certainly wish my UG had offered one. I took a community college anatomy course about 10 years ago and what we learned in that has not been particularly useful for medical school aside from knowing the names of the bones and some of the muscles, vessels, and all the organs etc. So I would say the emphasis should be on a robust anatomy class. However, with that being said, there are a number of people I know at my school who have had significant anatomy experience prior to med school and they are struggling just as much as everyone else in anatomy.

 

[MattSmith45]

not all med schools have cadaver labs. some have virtual anatomy lab.

lol that sucks

 

[Moose A Moose]

Man on the moon

 

[MightBeACylon439]

Read Rohen's... Seriously looking at Rohen's makes it a whole lot easier to know what to look for.

Rohen's only gets you so far though...those cadavers are beautifully and perfectly dissected and the vessels are all wonderfully and cleanly presented. If you study that before you get to your actual cadaver you may have unachievable standards for how your vessels/nerves muscles will look.

 

[68PGunner]

I took Anatomy and Physiology I as one of my hard bio sciences to meet the requirements. I barely did any work and absolutely shattered all curves. So, I'm def not planning to take any classes before school. Once this med school app process is done, I'm planning to travel to 3-5 different countries, go backpacking, smoke some cigars, and just chillax.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Rohen's only gets you so far though...those cadavers are beautifully and perfectly dissected and the vessels are all wonderfully and cleanly presented. If you study that before you get to your actual cadaver you may have unachievable standards for how your vessels/nerves muscles will look.

Correct but identification is easier than Netters. Cadavers can be preserved in different ways and so it can make a lot of the parts look different. To top it all off some bodies will have anomalies. So of course Rohen's is not perfect. However, it helped me quite a bit when netter's exaggerated the size and location of certain parts. It won't beat an anatomy course with actual cadavers, but it still helps you understand to some degree what to expect.

 

[67552931811]

.

 

[AM508]

Rohen's only gets you so far though...those cadavers are beautifully and perfectly dissected and the vessels are all wonderfully and cleanly presented. If you study that before you get to your actual cadaver you may have unachievable standards for how your vessels/nerves muscles will look.

Where Rohen was worth its weight in gold thus far was before the lab practical. It was a nice way to review when not in the lab.

 

[MightBeACylon439]

Where Rohen was worth its weight in gold thus far was before the lab practical. It was a nice way to review when not in the lab.

Very true, though that mostly just for getting the general layout of where you should find things. After a day of studying that I went to the SUNY online resource as well as just looking at the cadavers in lab.

Though with that being said you really have to do what works for you, we could probably go back and forth on what is "best" for studying for the practicals.

 

[asdf123g]

how does everyone know about these awesome study resources? Talking to upperclassmen? SDN?

 

[deleted788564]

i agree completely, take anatomy in undergrad, don't listen to the bull****ters who tell you crap so you don't do well