Studying Guide On #1: Anatomy

I'm putting together this Studying Guide Posts because it would have really helped me a lot to know some of these things that I've learned the hard way during my first year of med school. I'm still trying to manage all this information, but I think I'm getting better at it. 

Let's see if you find these little help guides useful. They are for me. And I think that curious people or those one who want to get on the medical field (or even artists!) will think the same: 

1. The first thing is, you need a good book.

 Anatomy is an ancient discipline and there are tons of good books out there that you can use as a reference. In my case, I use Sobotta and Netter quite a lot, there are people who prefer Gray’s anatomy, which is pretty great too. I would recommend you Sobotta, the draws are clear and realistic, so it is really clarifying. I also use “Rouviére’s anatomy”, but I don’t know if that one is available in english, because I only found it in spanish. Anyway, that’s a pretty good book if you want good theory, but not for the illustrations. You’ll find any of these books in your university library. Undoubtedly, the best and quickest resource is Fenei’s anatomy book: 

As you can see, the illustrations are so neat and clear you can look everything up in a second, and everything’s marked with numbers so you can know what you’re looking at. It’s one of my favorites and is so small you can carry it anywhere (I always take it with me to university). ♥︎ You can buy the Feneis pocket atlas of human anatomy here. 

There’s also a book that I only found in spanish, but medical terms are really similar in different languages because they all come form the latin, so I don’t think you’ll have lots of problems, and anyway the best part about this book are the illustrations. It has more than 1000 pages and it only costs 35 euros!! You can look it up here. 

2. Draw: Anatomy is the most visual subject you’ll ever study, so draw, draw and draw everything you can. In my university, we need to buy a book called “Human anatomy in dissection planes”. I talked about this book in one of my tumblr posts but this one is pretty expensive so just draw, because it will help you memorize and understand everything. Draw flow charts of circulation, of muskuloskeletal systems, of the nervous system, of EVERYTHING. You have an example here:  

I drew the nervous apparatus of the heart.

3. Use color-coding: When I have to study the muscles that are innervated by different nerves, I paint all the muscles of the same group with the same color. Use that technique for the different branches of arteries and veins that come from the same main artery or vein too, for the nerve endings that innervate the same structures, etc. 

4. Quiz yourself: When I have to study anatomy, I print out blank images, with no names at all, and after studying I put the names of all the structures I can see in that diagram. That way I make sure I’ve understood everything and that I know what I’m talking about. Using blank diagrams and illustrations with no names is a good way of realizing what you’ve learnt and what you haven’t. Also, there's this book which is absolutely amazing. I can't even. 

5. Observe the bodies: I don’t know if your university offers it, but if you have the possibility of studying in a dissection room with real human bodies, observe everything. Touch the body, realize how differs veins and arteries and nerves feel, how ligaments and tendons are not the same… 

6. Here are some good apps: if you’re an android user, I’d check these ones out: 

Visual Anatomy Free

Anatomy 3D

However, if you’re an apple user like me, I’d recommend 3D 4 Medical apps. They’re so clear and interactive, those are my favorites: 

Essential Anatomy (In this page you can also see images and animations, and the have apps for android users too!!)

Pocket Anatomy (This one is also great) 

To study the skull (which is the hardest thing ever), use this app: 

Skullviewer (ugh I love this one) 

7. Reason as much as you can: Use mnemonic devices. Anatomical names have the advantage of being really obvious, clever and reasonable. If the thyro-epiglotticus is called like that it’s because its origin and insertion points are the thyroid and the epiglottis cartilages. That simple. If you can’t remember which are the vases that arrive to a lymphatic ganglion and the ones which leave, remember the “Afferent vases” are the ones which “Arrive”, and the “Efferent” ones, are the Exit point. See? I just made a simple relation with the initials that helps me memorizing things! 

8. AnatomyZone Youtube Videos: I just... go take a look. Gosh. 

9. OBSERVE: Seriously, I can’t recommend you this enough. Observe the human body. Observe diagrams, illustrations, human cadavers and human bodies in action. Analyze, understand, and then, you can memorize everything you study, but if you just go to the theory without observing and analyzing, you’ll be doomed. Learning anatomy is like learning a new language, so make it fun, live it, and you’ll learn it quicker than you think.

Hm. I think this last piece of advice can be applied to anything. 

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Is there a subject you've learned how to study the hard way? 

Which are or were your favorite subjects?

How do you prefer studying?