Thank You, Academic Gods

Looking through the lecture topics for biochem, I think I've studied many of them before in undergrad biochem.  There's certainly nothing new in the first few weeks.  The last exam block looks like it might be a little more foreign to me, but it will be nice to have at least a few weeks of mostly familiar material.

I think I should sum up what I learned about studying anatomy.  I did a lot of "what is med school like" reading the summer before I started, and if I decide to actively promote this blog, my thoughts might be worth something to someone.

• Spend some time looking at different anatomy atlases, then pick your favorite, buy it, and  make it your own.  I wrote and highlighted all over mine.  Looking at a diagram of just muscles is a good way to see how they align with each other, but writing in which nerve innervates each one (even if you don't need to know them all yet) will help you put more of the puzzle pieces together.  If you like group study, see if you can get a study buddy who has a different atlas.  I went with Netter's, because the artwork is beautiful, but I liked occasionally looking at Grant's as well.  Sometime's seeing a different representation of something will make a complex structure or body system click.
• If the topic is limbs or the pelvis, go to lecture.  Many schools record their lectures so you can watch them online, and I think just about every school provides their students with print-outs of the slides.  I frequently skipped class and learned the material on my own; lots of people do.  But you really need to see someone talk about limbs, because they'll probably move around to demonstrate the various muscle movements they're talking about.  (The video in our recorded lectures is of the slides, not the lecturer.)  And the pelvis is just ridiculously complicated.  The 3-D structure is hard to visual and there are a ton of arteries and nerves, so go see the diagrams on the big screens in the lecture hall.  Don't squint at an atlas hoping to find everything.
• Try flashcards, even if you're not usually a flashcard person.  The key to learning those weird anatomical terms is to drill them over and over and over.  You can buy anatomical flash cards (again, I used Netter's).  I used to see half the class flipping through them before a quiz.  It was my primary mode of study.
• Touch yourself.  No, I mean...  There's no good way to phrase that.  But seriously, when you're learning surface anatomy, find all the features on yourself.  When you're learning bones, feel for them.  (You'll count your ribs so many times in med school.)  When you're learning muscles, use them.  When you're learning dermatomes (areas of skin innervated by the same nerve), trace that area of skin on yourself.  It really does help you remember things.  Anatomy practicals were always kind of funny, because you could look around the room and see people flexing their thumbs or bending their wrists or chewing.