Which is more useful: Physiology or Anatomy?

[IAmTetris]

Hello, I was wondering which is more useful during medical school: physiology or anatomy?

Most physiology classes will also cover basic anatomy and vice versa, so it's not as if they're studied in isolation. But I was wondering which would give me a better foundation for medicine? Which would be more applicable during actual med school classes?

I'm asking because I'm browsing through Masters programs in both. I really like both subjects equally (for different reasons), so it's hard to decide.

Thanks!

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[CapnJazz]

Physiology is absolutely much more inportant than detailed knowledge of anatomy in my opinion. Physiology is the basis for understanding pathology, which is the essence of medicine at the level of basic sciences. You should know big arteries and nerves and relationships between important organs and muscles, but what you will fall back on on clinical rotations is your knowledge of physiology and pathophysiology

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

For a medical student, a conceptual foundation in physiology is essential to understanding pharmacology and pathophysiology. Not so much for anatomy. I would go the physiology route if I were you. It's super, super important.

Also you will probably retain more physiology than anatomy - I took in depth courses in anatomy/dissection and physiology during undergrad. In med school, I didn't remember **** from my undergrad anatomy but I had a super easy time with physiology because of concepts I had learned in my undergrad physiology class.

 

[bashwell]

I agree with what people have said above for your purposes = physiology.

As you noted, you learn enough anatomy in your physiology. You can wait until med school to learn the rest of what you need in anatomy.

 

[IAmTetris]

Thanks for the replies, seems like the consensus so far is physiology. I'm also interested in the anatomy Masters because I really enjoyed learning anatomy during my exposure to it at the undergrad level. I also like working with my hands, so I am interested in surgical specialties. It's too early to say, but would a Masters in anatomy also help in the long-term for someone who is potentially interested in surgery? I can't tell if the interest I have in surgery right now will endure because I really only have this vague idea of what surgeons do, but I am interested in it right now...the idea of it at least. I'm also pretty interested in other specialties (pediatrics and internal medicine), but as I learn more about surgery (nothing substantial but just learning a little more and more), I find it pretty interesting.

Many med students find anatomy the most difficult/one of the most difficult courses in the med school curriculum. Practically then, would it be useful to have had substantial prior exposure to anatomy?

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Thanks for the replies, seems like the consensus so far is physiology. I'm also interested in the anatomy Masters because I really enjoyed learning anatomy during my exposure to it at the undergrad level. I also like working with my hands, so I am interested in surgical specialties. It's too early to say, but would a Masters in anatomy also help in the long-term for someone who is potentially interested in surgery? I can't tell if the interest I have in surgery right now will endure because I really only have this vague idea of what surgeons do, but I am interested in it right now...the idea of it at least. I'm also pretty interested in other specialties (pediatrics and internal medicine), but as I learn more about surgery (nothing substantial but just learning a little more and more), I find it pretty interesting.

Many med students find anatomy the most difficult/one of the most difficult courses in the med school curriculum. Practically then, would it be useful to have had substantial prior exposure to anatomy?

Anatomy is memorization, you'll learn it quick enough. The people struggling this year are the one's who don't really get phsyio because it takes longer to really 'get it'. You 'get' anatomy as soon as you sit down and look at it

 

[bashwell]

Thanks for the replies, seems like the consensus so far is physiology. I'm also interested in the anatomy Masters because I really enjoyed learning anatomy during my exposure to it at the undergrad level. I also like working with my hands, so I am interested in surgical specialties. It's too early to say, but would a Masters in anatomy also help in the long-term for someone who is potentially interested in surgery? I can't tell if the interest I have in surgery right now will endure because I really only have this vague idea of what surgeons do, but I am interested in it right now...the idea of it at least. I'm also pretty interested in other specialties (pediatrics and internal medicine), but as I learn more about surgery (nothing substantial but just learning a little more and more), I find it pretty interesting.

Many med students find anatomy the most difficult/one of the most difficult courses in the med school curriculum. Practically then, would it be useful to have had substantial prior exposure to anatomy?

Nah, I think you'll be fine even if you want to end up a surgeon.
-The anatomy you learn in med school is sufficient to establish a good base and eventually becoming a surgeon.
-The real surgical training begins in residency.
-I'm no surgeon, so maybe a surgeon will comment, but it seems to me many surgeons focus a bit more on the regional anatomy of their subspecialty, not necessarily the entire human body.
-Most of the anatomy you learn in med school/residency is clinically focused, which you won't really get until med school, and thus you learn to pick out the clinically relevant aspects of anatomy from the non-clinically relevant aspects.

I could be wrong, but you might find yourself changing your mind about pediatrics by the time you are in med school and deciding on a specialty. 🙂 If you like surgery and kids, then you might instead prefer pediatric surgery. Or if you like procedures and kids, then pediatric anesthesia or maybe pediatric EM (via EM) or a subspecialty of pediatrics (e.g., neonatology, PICU, PEM). Maybe you will end up loving kids and want to focus on general pediatrics, but I'm just saying surgery and pediatrics tend to attract very different people or personalities or mindsets in my experience.

 

[Redpancreas]

Hello, I was wondering which is more useful during medical school: physiology or anatomy?

Most physiology classes will also cover basic anatomy and vice versa, so it's not as if they're studied in isolation. But I was wondering which would give me a better foundation for medicine? Which would be more applicable during actual med school classes?

I'm asking because I'm browsing through Masters programs in both. I really like both subjects equally (for different reasons), so it's hard to decide.

Thanks!

I'd take 10 different physiology courses before taking an anatomy course.


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[neusu]

As a surgeon, anatomy is king.

Perhaps I'm weird, but physiology just always seemed to make sense whereas anatomy was difficult rote memorizing structures and their relations. Actually doing surgery, on the other hand, makes it far easier to know what's where and why it's important. Maybe it was just the way that anatomy is taught, "here is a list of everything, we named it in Latin or Greek, and describe vaguely where it comes from or goes but there is no real context to it, good luck!"

 

[cbrons]

Physiology is everything, so enormously important.

 

[kb0275]

Omm

 

[Kahreek]

at the level of depth you learn the two in med school, you need a good grasp of both for them to be useful.

 

[takeurmeds02]

Sure you'll use anatomy throughout your career but you'll study it intensively for a few weeks whereas physiology will be the majority of your pre-clinical education.

 

[IAmTetris]

Ok...strategically then, which is more useful for Step 1 then: physiology or anatomy? What's the breakdown by percentage of questions that would be covered?

Also, which is more important for Step 1: physiology or biochemistry? What's the breakdown by percentage of questions that would be covered? Curious because a lot of the Special Masters Programs/SMP I've seen say they will cover 1st year med school curriculum from physiology & biochemistry. I'm not looking into SMP, but it came up as I was searching for a terminal Masters program in physiology.

 

[IAmTetris]

Sure you'll use anatomy throughout your career but you'll study it intensively for a few weeks whereas physiology will be the majority of your pre-clinical education.

How many weeks are dedicated to each at your school?

 

[takeurmeds02]

How many weeks are dedicated to each at your school?

It will vary by school but traditionally (and it seems to be the majority) anatomy is crammed into the first 6-8 weeks of medschool; thereafter you spend the rest of the preclinical years dealing with physio. Some programs spread the same amount of material out longitudinally but still have the same amount of physio to learn. I've also heard that some schools do anatomy by the organ block so it might go into your second year but this is the minority.In any case, it's the same amount of material on top of having much more physio to learn with each organ system over two years.

Structure follows function; physio forms the basis of everything you're going to learn whereas the gross anatomy may or may not be as applicable

 

[IAmTetris]

Oh, I see...thanks!

It will vary by school but traditionally (and it seems to be the majority) anatomy is crammed into the first 6-8 weeks of medschool; thereafter you spend the rest of the preclinical years dealing with physio. Some programs spread the same amount of material out longitudinally but still have the same amount of physio to learn. I've also heard that some schools do anatomy by the organ block so it might go into your second year but this is the minority.In any case, it's the same amount of material on top of having much more physio to learn with each organ system over two years.

Structure follows function; physio forms the basis of everything you're going to learn whereas the gross anatomy may or may not be as applicable

 

[deleted709753]

Physiology >>>>>>>>>>> anatomy.

Do a master's in physiology, better yet, do a SMP.

 

[WindChaser]

better yet, do a SMP.

wat

 

[ed*26]

Also physiology is on the MCAT, and anatomy is not.

But it sounds like you want a master's in anatomy.