Anatomy was overwhelming. I was up earlier in the morning than I'd ever been to study, I had restless sleep dreaming about all of the big words I had to memorize, and I just prayed each night that I wouldn't fail. It was incredibly amazing to look back week after week and see how many concepts I'd learned in such a short amount of time. I enjoyed learning about everything during this class, and I truly saw the importance of it. My only wish was that it wasn't all happening so fast. This made it really hard to take days off, because you can't get behind. My days off occurred the Saturday after an exam.
Anatomy consisted of lectures and lab daily, and occasional Living Anatomy lectures. On exam day we were tested for about four hours on a Friday or Saturday where we would take half of the test on the computer (multiple choice, essays, and short answers) and the other half would be conducted in the lab. There were structures pinned on donors and we all were at a different station with one question at each station. The buzzer would ring every minute which signaled the progression to the next question (very stressful if you can't think of the answer in 60 seconds !). Five of the stations we rotated through were Living Anatomy stations where you meet with your partner, take off your clothes (you get to leave bra and shorts on), and go into a curtained off area with your partner where a professor has your question. You take the card and perform whatever tasks it asks (palpate the bony structures of the hip, perform some hearing tests, test for damage of _____ nerve, etc.). Keep in mind you get only one minute to walk in, read the card, do the assigned action, and leave.
Books
After my grandma Skidmore passed away, I found some anatomy textbooks on her bookshelf. I was only in high school, but for some reason I put them in my suitcase before we left after her funeral. I didn't buy any textbooks for Anatomy because I had those. Netter's atlas is a classic, and I certainly used it every day. The other book I took was a book of photographs of cadaver sections with labels that was really beneficial as well. While studying, I would glance at notes she made in the margins, and smile knowing that we shared an interest that I never even knew she had until now. (Grandma did not have a profession in medicine, just an interest) In fact, her notes helped me understand the brachial plexus, atrial septal defects in the heart, and the pathway of the cranial nerves! Those books sat in my closet for over 5 years, I'm so glad I remembered that I had them.
I highly recommend these books:
2. Netter's (although everything is technically easy to google)
3. This website is amazing practice for your exam identifying structures!!
Study
I studied each day by reviewing the days lectures and outlining them by rewriting the objectives given to us at the beginning of each lecture. I looked at the atlases mentioned above, reviewed lecture notes, visited the lab outside of class, quizzed myself with an online database of questions (Prep-U), and drew out structures. The most beneficial things I did were planning out my days, and staying productive and disciplined during "study time."
Using my planner, every night I'd write out all that I wanted to accomplish the next day and approximately how long I'd spend doing each task. There will never be enough time to learn everything, it's definitely necessary to set stopping points. During my study time (usually) I'd set my phone across the room and time myself for 60 minutes and then take a 10-15 minute break, and start on a new study goal.
I woke up at 5:00 most days and either worked out, or drove to campus and started studying before class which started at 8:00. I'd usually take only a half hour off for lunch, study throughout the afternoon, and most nights I'd be done by 7:30/8:00 PM. During test weeks in the evenings my wonderful non-medical husband would quiz me on material that I'd been working on that day.
Additional lessons
Donating your body to science is an unbelievably generous thing to do. Not a day went by when I didn't think about how generous of a gift it is just so that I could learn and eventually help others - that is truly amazing. I tried to remember this and learn as much as I could, because it's quite an incredible opportunity.