YOUR best strategy for anatomy?

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Tapepsi

Tapepsi

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So I'm reading this nice anatomy strategy guide that the soon-to-be-second years posted from my school (discussing what books to buy, what teachers you should attend every class etc...) as my school dives right into anatomy in the first week. While it gave some relief, the fact that you only need to pass half of the exams and have a cumulative grade of 60% or above to pass sort of makes me nervous (i.e.: it has to be difficult).

The students mentioned that different books work for different people, but the problem is how will I know if I haven't bought them? :confused: I don't want to waste money on a book b/c I "think" it will help out.

I'm not planning on pre-studying at all before school starts, but I would like to hear some opinions from those of you who have taken anatomy to figure out why book x helped you out as opposed to book y. Thanks!
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This really comes down to what the organization of the book is like and how the images are presented (drawn vs. actual images). Initially, I was using a book called A.D.A.M. Student Atlas of Anatomy, which uses actual images. However, I did not really enjoy the organization of the book and it was assigned because our course director co-authored it.

Next, I joined the AMA and received Atlas of Anatomy (Thieme Anatomy), which uses drawn images. I found these to be more clear to get an idea of where things ought to be. However, the organization in this book also turned me off.

So finally, I turned to the famed Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy. This book was beautifully organized (except the head/neck section) and had crystal clear drawn images. In fact, you will soon find out that many of the drawn images you see throughout your courses are taken from this text book. I ended up using this book throughout the rest of anatomy and scratched the other two.

You may consider picking up Gray's Anatomy. It is only 19.99 at Barnes and Noble. It provides quite a bit of detail, but is helpful for developing some familiarity with some general concepts (also, the Barnes and Noble book is beautiful).

tjquinn
 
I hated Netter's (too many labels per plate) and Rohen's (while a actual labeled cadaver is nice, you'll never see a dissection done that well in your class) FWIW. I used Gilroy (Theime) and I thought the organization was done very well and the drawn pictures were great. There's also charts with muscle group and innervation of those muscle as well.

As far as the book, I would think it would depend on how your class is taught and how you like to read. If your class is in-house exams and doesn't take the NBME shelf exam in anatomy, then possibly buying and reading whatever textbook is reccommended by the professor may be the way to go. Or sticking to notes only, or if there are old test questions floating about then use those.

If your anatomy class uses the NBME shelf at the end of the year, picking up a review book like BRS gross anatomy and reading it as you progress through the course will probably help.

I think the de facto anatomy book at most schools is Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy. It's a good book, but it is a textbook and can take a lot of time to read through if you use it as a resource.

Finally, I think your best bet, though, is to listen to 2nd years at your school. Ask a few of them who did well or decent and see what they used.
 
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BRS was wonderful for my anatomy course (exams were much like the NBME anatomy exam). After the first exam I didn't even crack the clinical human anatomy book for the rest of the semester. I messed around with Rohan a little, but ultimately I found Netter to be the most helpful atlas (except for the pelvis section).

I think what it really comes down to is spending time in the lab with an atlas going over as many bodies as you can.
 
I used Moore's "Clinically-Oriented Anatomy", supplemented a little with Netter's in the lab.

Our course was very clinically-slanted, so having an exhaustive text like Moore's was pretty essential.

For lab portions, nothing replaces lab time.

Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition.
 
Get an atlas that's good for you to see what the ideal should look like. Then you need to get an atlas or study something for cadaver images. I used NetAnatomy.com...your school probably has a subscription to it. Moore's is a great text, and has all the answers as far as what innervates what, origins and insertions, blood supply and venous drainage, etc.

Your school will provide you with a syllabus and dissection guides that have most of the information (or at least a list of things) that you need to know.
 
If you're a strong student, then Netters, Gray's and BRS are plenty and you'll comfortably honor your class with them.

Some people in my class hated Netters, but loved Gilroy's (Thieme). Personally I thought Gilroy's sucked. Yes, it has prettier pictures and the presentation is less overwhelming than Netters, but it's more scattered (one area of focus will have several plates, so you can't get a comprehensive feel of what you need to know just by looking at one plate). Gilroy's might be good if you're barely passing and have poor spatial visualization, but if you're gunning for high grades, then Netters is still the one to use.

There's a reason why Netters has lasted through so many classes of medical students.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone! The required text is Gray's Anatomy but it was highly recommended to also get Netters and based off of all of the feeback on here I will get that book as well. Students said that BRS is frowned upon by the professors so I don't know if I want to get that one.
 
womp said:
wtf

BRS is amazing as a review
Click to expand...

Well they said that it has a lot of errors in it (which have been mostly fixed now so I don't know why profs don't like it) and if you're using info from BRS to back up answers on the test that you got wrong the professors will not give you the points.

But I guess since so many of you recommended it, I'm going to look more into that book.
 
In my opinion the major problem in studying anatomy is that you have to remember lots of different points and you can't bear to forget any of them. The best practice to solve this problem is to study it again and again. But that is very time consuming and boring. I found a relatively easy way of doing it.
Concentrate more on images than on text. When you see something visually, there are more chances that you understand it and when you understand, you would not forget it for a long time.
 
Ahsankmc said:
In my opinion the major problem in studying anatomy is that you have to remember lots of different points and you can't bear to forget any of them. The best practice to solve this problem is to study it again and again. But that is very time consuming and boring. I found a relatively easy way of doing it.
Concentrate more on images than on text. When you see something visually, there are more chances that you understand it and when you understand, you would not forget it for a long time.
Click to expand...

Indeed, study anatomy must be a weekly practice during in first year specially in pelvic, thorax and abdominal chapters. I studied using Clinically Oriented Anatomy of Moore and DAlley. As far i concerned about the anatomy books, Clinnical Oriented Anatomy is a medium book size to study. There are books more heavier than Clinically Oriented Anatomy like Testut and Lartajet Anatomy Textbook (something like 5,000 pages) and books more lighter like Gray for Med Students .

Maybe you choose the book who your teacher or professor suggest and;or the best one which achieves the objectives of you course.
Try to study on anatomy lab, it's help a lot to improve your theory studies, after all you must not forget the anatomy is a science which needs deeply observation.
 
Memorized every netter flashcard. My tests were so spatial based that I had to
 
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tjquinn said:
This really comes down to what the organization of the book is like and how the images are presented (drawn vs. actual images). Initially, I was using a book called A.D.A.M. Student Atlas of Anatomy, which uses actual images. However, I did not really enjoy the organization of the book and it was assigned because our course director co-authored it.

Next, I joined the AMA and received Atlas of Anatomy (Thieme Anatomy), which uses drawn images. I found these to be more clear to get an idea of where things ought to be. However, the organization in this book also turned me off.

So finally, I turned to the famed Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy. This book was beautifully organized (except the head/neck section) and had crystal clear drawn images. In fact, you will soon find out that many of the drawn images you see throughout your courses are taken from this text book. I ended up using this book throughout the rest of anatomy and scratched the other two.

You may consider picking up Gray's Anatomy. It is only 19.99 at Barnes and Noble. It provides quite a bit of detail, but is helpful for developing some familiarity with some general concepts (also, the Barnes and Noble book is beautiful).

tjquinn
Click to expand...

You can't be serious. Gray's??? And not only did you buy 3+ full textbooks for anatomy, you wholeheartedly recommend Netter's over Thieme? What?
 
Maybe someone said it and I missed it, but what is BRS short for?

I'm pretty sure my school has Netters as a required text for anatomy. Glad to see the majority here think it is a good choice, and also glad to see it's not nearly as expensive as I expected on Amazon.
 
Tapepsi said:
So I'm reading this nice anatomy strategy guide that the soon-to-be-second years posted from my school (discussing what books to buy, what teachers you should attend every class etc...) as my school dives right into anatomy in the first week. While it gave some relief, the fact that you only need to pass half of the exams and have a cumulative grade of 60% or above to pass sort of makes me nervous (i.e.: it has to be difficult).

The students mentioned that different books work for different people, but the problem is how will I know if I haven't bought them? :confused: I don't want to waste money on a book b/c I "think" it will help out.

I'm not planning on pre-studying at all before school starts, but I would like to hear some opinions from those of you who have taken anatomy to figure out why book x helped you out as opposed to book y. Thanks!
Click to expand...


In first year one of my friends used Acland's anatomy dvds and annihilated the class. I had never heard of them so I didn't take her offer to borrow them. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably use those videos.
 
Netter + Rohen + BRS = Honor

I initially didn't pick up the Rohen atlas, but after about the third time being squeezed off the table by one of my tablemates calling over about 6 of his friends to check out our cadaver (which turned into just dissect our cadaver - never mind my other tablemates - because he's thin [you'll understand the value of this shortly]) I'd had enough. A lot of people will say Rohen is not a solid sub for time in the lab, but ultimately our profs did some finishing prosection (and I think this is pretty standard) prior to the practical and I found it to be more than satisfactory even with limited lab time.
 
I did well with netters and BRS like most folks.

Lab was always such a feeding frenzy, and since we weren't required to go, but had badge access to get in after hours, I always came in and studied on the cadavers in the evenings a couple times a week. I found it to be higher yield as I was able to look at multiple bodies in the same time frame without the extra asses and elbows.
 
does edition of the atlas matter?

im not talking going back two editions, but maybe one outdated edition? so much cheaper on amazon...thoughts?
 
bruincat said:
does edition of the atlas matter?

im not talking going back two editions, but maybe one outdated edition? so much cheaper on amazon...thoughts?
Click to expand...

Yeah, we've evolved a lot since the previous editions
 
I think rohen is good for the limbs and thorax and abdomen.. not so much for pelvis and/or maybe some of head and neck. Netters sucked for pelvis too. I think the best way to do pelvis is time in the lab with an instructor around to help answer your questions. Its just very hard to visualize the layers in a 2D drawing.
 
spyderracing32 said:
Netter + Rohen + BRS = Honor

I initially didn't pick up the Rohen atlas, but after about the third time being squeezed off the table by one of my tablemates calling over about 6 of his friends to check out our cadaver (which turned into just dissect our cadaver - never mind my other tablemates - because he's thin [you'll understand the value of this shortly]) I'd had enough. A lot of people will say Rohen is not a solid sub for time in the lab, but ultimately our profs did some finishing prosection (and I think this is pretty standard) prior to the practical and I found it to be more than satisfactory even with limited lab time.
Click to expand...

This is what I did too (but I didn't honor). I think Netter and BRS are enough as long as you also have class notes of some kind. I have a Gray's but I only used it for the pelvis (and it was helpful for that)--I wouldn't recommend buying it.

As far as editions, I have a 3rd edition Netter that I used all year, because I already had it coming in. Of course it was just fine; there are some nice new pictures in the newest edition, but nothing I felt I needed. If you are buying one anyway though, I'd go with the new edition for those drawings. Oh, and don't use an old BRS (which I started the year doing) because that has changed a LOT. The new questions are much more clinically oriented, much more like how we were tested.
 
We have in house exams, and our course director uses High Yield Anatomy over the other board review books. I really like it.

I have Netter's flashcards that I use for on the go studying, and the Thieme atlas for at home studying. I like both of them, but I really like the organization of Thieme.
 
Best anatomy strategy?
Do as little as possible to skate by with a passing grade. Unless your dead set on being a surgeon, anatomy is one of the least high yield subjects in the pre-clinical years. Even if you want to be a surgeon, I still think it's pretty low yield. Just look in first aid, there is only a handful of topics on Step 1; and if you think that surgery shelf will have tons of anatomy on it...think again.

Just my 2 cents though.
 
Agree with everyone that 1) repetition (of the right material) and 2) time is KEY.
 
Rohen's also has flashcards. They're a little scant, but in my personal opinion, still beat the pants off of studying by identifying structures from a perfect *illustration*, given the chances of your lab practical resembling anything like a Netter's sketch are exactly 0%.
 
All I needed was Netter's, Rohen, a cadaver, and a nice question bank.

I still hate Anatomy but I'm tutoring it now, lol.

I found the Acland anatomy videos very informative, too, but that might be too time-consuming on top of everything else you have to do.
 
Pre-study 1 day before material lectured: Acland dvds and Wisconsin dissection videos

Day of lecture: Netter's images of selected regions from lecture; "drill & grill" -->repeat to memorization, then take practice quizzes on material. Study Acland DVDs for tomorrow.

Day after lecture: Review material from day before by quickly running through Netter's images and quizzes; review daily material, prep for tomorrow.
 
I'm going to throw in with the anti-Netter's party. It's a beautiful atlas, but it's rather stylized, making it at times hard to correlate what's on the page with what one is seeing in the cadaver. Retrospectively, I wish I'd supplemented with one that included actual photographs. I do recommend Netter's flashcards, if only for the online component.

What I did find helpful in anatomy was studying with my lab partners outside of lab. It's one of those courses that, while the material isn't hard, there's just so much you need to know it can be hard to keep track of it all. I found studying with others a few times a week extremely helpful in reminding me what I was forgetting.
 
I bought:
Netter's
Thieme's
Clinically Oriented Anatomy
BRS
A cadaver book that our teacher published

I also have, by other means, Lippincott's Q&A
Grey's Anatomy for students Question book
Gunner Training

I am honoring anatomy, and have literally cut my study time half by simply finding the combination that works best. My point is that it's not a "waste" of money to buy what you think will help. COA is our recommended book, but I hate it.

I listen to lecture, make Mentalcase flashcards from lecture. Review those throughout the week (don't really care if it KNOW them, just need to be comfortable with what everything looks like). Read BRS. Do BRS questions, do Lippincott questions. Do UMich questions. Review the clinical stuff in COA. All the while banking GT anatomy. I can usually do about 80% of everything I just listed.

Do what works for you. Critically analyze each tool you are using and whether it is actually something worthwhile. I had never taken an anatomy class before med school, so it was VERY intimidating. Now it's easily the most straightforward class. Don't worry.
 
Listen to those who are saying BRS and Netter. I used those + class notes and breezed through the NBME shelf exam, and I'm a dummy. BRS does have a few mistakes but its benefits far outweigh the negatives resulting from any mistakes, especially because of the great practice questions.
 
Netter's + cadaver + class notes = honored.
 
Last edited:
Tons of repetition + tons of repetition + more repetition.
 
Tapepsi said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone! The required text is Gray's Anatomy .
Click to expand...


You will soon learn how funny the statement "required text" is.

We were required to go to lab for 3-4 hours MWF. I didn't want to be there any extra, so I bought Rohen's and used it a little each block. Gilroy was the bomb.

There really isn't much need to go spend extra hours in the lab. If you know the pictures from whichever atlas you choose, you will be fine. Your professors will make the tags obvious for the lab portion of the test.

You'll also learn that getting into med school is the hardest part about med school. It doesn't take much to pass. Good luck!
 
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