I started reading my anatomy text, (I found a syllabus online) and I would like to know what is the most efficient way to study for the class (in terms of reading and reviewing)

Also, how much does one spend on reading for each class per day??

Try to find out if there is a problem set or if old exams are available. Problem sets are gold if a prof hands them out. Know them forward, backward and inside out.

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B. Stone, NREMT-Intermediate

MD hopeful. I want to go to medical school in order to serve underprivileged communities and do relief work in disaster/war zones.

1. Blood supplies will vary. You are better served by learning the major blood supplies. Also remember the acronym VANL, which stands for Vein, Artery, Nerve and Lymph. In the limbs, you may not see as much Lymph so learning VAN (Vein, Artery, and Nerve) is good enough. Anyway, if you learn VAN, you will know what supplies what. You will see that the veins, arteries and nerves travel together. A lot of gross anatomy will be to learn the exceptions!

2. Know the basics means LEARN THE LANDMARKS. The major aspect concerning the rectus capitus major muscle is not its origin or insertion but the fact it is associated with the suboccipital triangle. The major structure of the suboccipital triangle is the passage of the vertebral artery before it enters the foramen magnum and the contents of the cranial cavity. Therefore, pick out the LANDMARKS. Identify the innervation and action of the muscle. Determine the muscle's role in the overall scheme, area or region. e.g. is it part of a boundary, roof, floor, medial wall, lateral wall, superior wall or inferior wall? Is there a commonality in the origin or insertion of the various muscles? Does the name of the muscle indicate the origin and insertion as well as its action? e.g. coracobrachialis or flexor carpi ulnaris.

3. Set up mnemonics. For the rotator cuff, you will use SITS. So identify the SITS muscles and then see why they are called rotator cuff muscles. They hold the humerus to the scapula but why? What innervates the muscles? What are the actions of the muscles? Then ask why they are called the rotator cuff muscles.

4. For laboratory dissection, studying for practicals and truly learning the material, FIND THE LANDMARKS! If you can identify the landmark, you can find your way around the structures. Gross Anatomy is nothing more than geography of the human body. When you arrived on the island, you went looking around for the stores, the beaches, the restaurants and other structures that serve you. Gross anatomy is the same. Think of the main roads as the VANL. Think of the ridges around the island as the skeleton. Think of the structures around the island as various muscles, organs, etc. So now, go looking for a major landmark and start looking for the other structures associated with that landmark. If you go to the bank, you follow a certain street and turn at a corner and there it is. You also know that near the bank is the customs house and a short distance away is a boutique, etc. Therefore, on the shoulder and upper limb, go find the deltoid muscle. Now identify the muscles anterior and posterior to the deltoid muscle. Did you find the coracobrachialis? etc. Why is the biceps brachii the biceps brachii? You will see all of this come to light when you dissect and experience it.

5. Make tables. The books have tables but if you make your own tables, you will learn why anterior compartment of the arm is known as the flexor compartment and why the posterior compartment of the arm is called the extensor compartment. Look for commonalities when making tables, i.e. what nerves are common to the muscles? What attachments are common to a group of muscles? What blood supply is common to the structures being supplied? Etc. Tables help in your studying. Making your own tables helps you learn!! By the way same thing goes for histology, embryology, neurosciences, and physiology or for any of the other basic sciences.

6. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. Visit the material often. Look at slides, cadavers, or images as often as possible. The more you see it, the better you know it. Teach each other because if you can teach other, you know the material. Therefore you should study in groups.

These are the tips I give my students before the semester starts. I have noticed that most students who follow these tips will succeed and do well. If a student doesn't follow these steps and expects to be spoonfed the material, I find 95-98% of the time they fail and fail big! Why, because there is too much material to really learn and your memory only goes so far. Also, I find cramming done by those students, who don't follow these tips, is usually useless as you cannot cram the amount of material you truly need to learn.

This advice is from someone who has taught in medical and dental schools as well as undergraduate students for over 10 years now.
Good luck, A_G

Go to Netanatomy.com , click on gross anatomy, click on antomy lab and click on the picture. You can start studying the cadavers there and the names of arteries, etc.. with real pictures. They also provide a little quiz for you. Great help when I was in anatomy. Also get the BRS for anatomy, great book especially for the clinicals. I never read the Moore, its too much to read and theres just not enough time to read all of it. Studying the professors notes and brs as well as knowing how the cadavers look like should be able to get you an A if not a B. There are some things not covered in netanatomy.com, get the rest here http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/Med...tor/index.html

Also there is this Netter program for the computer, it is one of the best programs I've seen, but the pictures are cartoons instead of real cadavers. When you get to the school, just ask a med 2 or med3, I'm sure they would give you a copy.

Now accepting applications to form a study group. Hurry! spaces fill up fast!

I am in!!! Please just don't invite jburk, I wont be able to concentrate!!!!!

She didn't fill out an application, so I can't deny her yet!!

Hey........I love study groups!!! So Stookie, consider my application in!! Sorry Surgeon, lol!!

On a more serious note, I too am starting on some anatomy reading....was checking out some of those websites and now I am seriously feeling the pressure already!! There is tons of info to retain!

Well, I know some anatomy.. NO surgeon, not that anatomy (well, I do,..but..) Anyway. I am all up for a study group, but I think you guys may be done with anatomy when I get there in May.

If you are studying ahead, I will give you some insight.

1. Bones
2. Muscles
3. Major Blood Vessels
4. Major Nerves

This will give you a good base to go from.
Remember in medicine you need to know the relationship of everything to everything else. Like your right belly button is inferior to your chest, superior to your pelvis, medial to your hip.
I am being very general, but knowing relationships of anatomy will help you locate other structures later.

Know anatomical position, helps to know which way is up and down..lol.

If you never had anatomy, get ready for a rude kick in the butt.

THE WORSE thing is, have you looked at board review books? They don't ask what muscle attaches here and does this. NO, they rarely ask a question on any major muscle. They will say, a patient presents with an injury to this area. The patient complains of this, what nerve would you check OR what blood vessel would you check.

Get ready to rumble...

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John Webb, MS, DC, CCEP, DAAIM, FAAPM
SMU
STUDENT
MD 2010
MBA 2009

A bad day at school is still better than a good day at work.