Importance of Anatomy and Physiology and How to Study for It

Anatomy and Physiology is one of the most demanding classes that students take to pursue a career in the health care industry.  Whether a person want to be a nurse, a doctor, a pharmacist, or other medical professions, getting a good grade and a basic grasp in an Anatomy and Physiology class is extremely vital.  The course will not only provide knowledge to be used as a stepping stone to far more advanced concepts, it will be used by schools to determine the strength of their applicants.

I have been through four years of college and honestly, I can say that I have not tried as hard as I have with this Anatomy and Physiology course; this class is serious.  Nonetheless, I was able to pull this class off with an A from forcing myself to study hard and creating a study habit that I had never used before.  

Since Anatomy and Physiology consists of so much information, I want to emphasize that just by attending class, a passing grade is not guaranteed.  Also, if you are like me and have found this page, I know that you do not want anything lower than an A because anything lower than that will only hurt your chance of getting into the school of your choice and harm you in the future.

Anatomy and Physiology Study Tips

Form a study group or find a study buddy:  It helps to just review the material with someone else because that person can point out what you incorrectly interpreted or missed out on.  Additionally, you can quiz each other and discuss the concept behind each system.

Know the concept:  There are a lot of systems and organs in this course and just by learning the definition, you will get confused.  The best strategy to avoid this is to learn the concept and relate to the overall picture. You must know what each system do and how they relate to each other.

Learn the medical terminology: Again, there are so many terms; there is no way to know all.  The trick is to learn the roots, suffixes, and prefixes so that just by looking at the term, you will know exactly what it refers to.  This can be done by looking up “medical terminology,”  renting a book from the library, taking a course prior to this class, or simply paying attention to the words when reading or listening to a lecture.

Use flash cards:  This will help those who are visual learners and like to have hands-on learning materials.  Flash cards reinforce the material when you are writing it over and are convenience to bring anywhere to study.  Use http://www.Quizlet.com to create online flash cards if you have to and share with friends.

Utilize tape-recorder: A lot of people do not think it is necessary to tape record a lecture anymore because Powerpoint slides are being posted. This is not true because slides are summary of what the professors lecture; the real lecture contains vital information such as easy way to remember terms or a simplified version of how the heart works.  Make sure you remember to listen to your recording.  NOTE: Please ask the professor before attempting to tape-record him/her.

Additional Anatomy and Physiology Study Tips

Review the material every night, or as soon as possible. Cramming will not work for this type of material and you want to retain this material for later use as well.

Use the CD-Rom that comes with the book.

Read the outline of each chapter and answer all questions given, as the majority of the test questions come from these sections.

Use acronyms and mnemonics to help memorize. http://www.MedicalMnemonics.com is a good one to use.

Carry terms around and study as much as possible.

Make use of the models provided in class. If possible, ask an instructor if you can come in to practice after class; often times he/she will allow.

I can’t emphasize this enough, but many degrees require a good grade and a basic understanding of Anatomy and Physiology, so make sure you pay good attention to this class.

If you just want to get ahead, or to review the materials before heading to an Anatomy and Physiology class exam or Entrance Exam, you can do so with this Human Anatomy and Physiology Home Study Course.  I find it extremely helpful even after I completed the course at school.

Good luck.