So we’ve recently been asked about our tips for learning anatomy and we’re more than happy to share. Anatomy relies on memory so it is important to find techniques that make learning a bit easier.
Physically perform the actions as you study. This gives you a sense of how they feel in person and you’re likely to remember it.
Use flash cards – Greys Anatomy or Netter’s flashcard
Make your own cue cards detailing the origins, insertions, blood supply and innervation’s with your own drawings and diagrams. The process of making our own helps to consolidate your knowledge.
Think clinically about how damage to nerves or blood supply will affect actions and other clinical scenarios (Moore’s blue boxes). Medicine is basically the application of science to humanity, so thinking clinically helps you understand how anatomy fits into practise.
Test yourself regularly. Find various ways of testing yourself because a lot of the time it’s easy to just memorise answers from flash cards. There are so many online free quizzes so check them
For useful Resources check out: Ken Hub, Aclands, TeachMeAnatomy & AnatomyZone
Watch videos! YouTube videos are short and sweet and straight to the point.
Get creative. For example use one of your friends as a mannequin and use post it notes to label muscles (actions, innervations and blood supply).
Start early and learn as you go. It’s never too late to catch up if you feel behind, starting from somewhere is better than nothing.
Repetition is a form of consolidation so repeat, repeat, repeat!
Make clear notes to refer back to easily. Instead of looking through pages of numerous textbooks, create a set of revision notes that are easy to refer to.
Study with friends. Sometimes recieving information from your friends is easier to take in than receiving information from your lecturer. Also you can test each other and find cool ways of remembering things together. For example: me and my friends learnt a cranial nerves song on YouTube and till this day we can never forget.
Feel free to comment below useful ways of how you learn anatomy.