Tips for doing well in Anatomy & Physiology I/II?

Student Lounge College Life
1

I’m going into my 3rd pre-professional year of my 3+3 BSHS/DPT program, and I’m taking the Anatomy & Physiology I/II sequence with a wet lab. I’m very worried about how I’ll turn out in this course. Here’s why:

  1. The grading scale for Anatomy & Physiology I/II at my school is different from the other biology courses. From what my friends have told me, the grading scale is something like this: A = 95-100; A- = 93-95; B+ = 90-93; B = 86-90; B- = 83-86; C+ = 80-83
  2. The professor is notoriously hard for assigning 10+ page diagram packets with 100 MC Exams. The packets and online homework assignments account for 15-20% of my grade while the other 80-85% is made up from 5-6 Exams. The packets take so much time to do such that there's not much time left to study for the other material for the exams, and the professor has a habit of including the most minute details from his lectures into the exams.
  3. I also have to take Human Anatomy directly after I finish my spring semester next year. I'm worried that I'm not going to be able to remember a lot of what I've learned from the fall and spring semesters.

What can I do to be top of everything in Anatomy & Physiology I/II? What kind of studying methods work best for this class?
Thanks so much in advance!

P.S.- I’m also taking a Medical Terminology I/II sequence, so how much of that would help me with studying for A & P?

2

Do you have time to self-study basic anatomy and physiology over the summer? Get a copy of the anatomy coloring book and color away while reviewing basic anatomy, buy a basic A&P book and get familiar with the types of things you will be studying to frontload your knowledge base before the class starts. Wrap your mind around the fact that keeping up will be your best strategy. Many moons ago when I took A&P I made my own little study guides and flash cards for the stuff that had to be memorized such as names of structures.

3

@NorthernMom61 I’m self-studying from the course textbook, and is the coloring book the one by Kapit and Elson?

4

Probably important to know going in that A&P are going to be significant work and heavy memorization so be sure to keep up with it throughout the semester. The good news is that you are already in a combined program so getting a B should not greatly impact your progression.

My D is taking Anatomy this summer and she said that many students stay after lab to work through terms and identify them on the models. Put in the time and effort and you will do fine.

5

I don’t know the coloring book author but I remember the one I used helped me to remember terms.