All 2 entries tagged Anatomy

Anatomy!

Anatomy. The subject I dreaded before beginning at Warwick. So much to learn and so many difficult names! In my previous degree we had some anatomy but it wasn’t taught very well and therefore I remembered near to nothing when I started Medicine. However, even though I still find that it can be difficult, I have found it a lot less daunting than I first thought it would be.

We started pretty much straight away with anatomy, and that first lecture was a killer. Thankfully though that wasn’t the case for the rest of the year and I recovered! After I got used to the terminology and got my hands on a copy of Gray’s, things massively improved. The anatomy lectures were the best delivered lectures in my opinion and complicated topics were always covered again to help you process the information. We also had access to online recordings of the lectures, and extras for further help, so that meant we could go over the content ourselves if we needed to in our own time.

At the beginning of each module we were supplied with an anatomy workbook. Every week there would be questions to answer and pictures to be labelled, before a session in the surgical labs at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire where we spent time with plastinated specimens and had smaller group teaching. Going through the workbooks before the session really helped to cement the content of that week’s lectures and made it easier to engage in the anatomy sessions at the hospital (they also made for a great revision tool). The sessions themselves were also great. I loved getting to see the specimens and begin to appreciate the relationship between different tissues.

We also had access to 3D recordings of the specimens so that we could zoom in and appreciate a particular structure in more detail. At the end of the year we got to spend time with fresh tissue and this was fascinating. Having it at the end of the year meant we could name and identify a lot of structures that we probably never knew existed when we started! We also had revision stations at the end of each module with clinical cases based on the anatomy we had covered. This was a really helpful way to put everything together and understand how important being able to apply our anatomy teaching is.

During these anatomy sessions we also had seminars, where we would cover difficult aspects of a topic in more detail and at a slower pace, or ask questions about anything we had struggled with. I found these seminar sessions extremely useful. The repetition of key information through lectures, the workbooks and the seminars meant that things slowly made sense and were (hopefully) remembered when it came to exams!

We had radiology seminars during the anatomy sessions as well. It was a challenge, and still is, to be able to orientate and identify what different images were showing but these sessions were great at gradually introducing us to the world of x-rays, MRI and CT scans. We even had sessions where we could have a go at using ultrasound to look at each other’s abdomen and chest. This was great fun, albeit difficult, and we began to understand what the position of the probe meant we were actually seeing!

Having access to all of these different resources and teaching methods really helped with my learning and understanding of anatomy – and hopefully this will continue to be the case!

Megan Earle : 15 Oct 2014 11:13 |  Tags: Anatomy Mbchb Rachel Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Anatomy Master Class – Grenada

One of the unique parts of the course at Warwick Medical School is the opportunity to go to St George’s University in Grenada (the Caribbean) for five weeks to take part in an Anatomy Master Class working on cadavers, a fantastic experience that I was lucky enough to go on.

The trip takes place during the summer holiday between the first and second year. During the five weeks students are assigned parts of the body to dissect with an aim to produce quality specimens that will be used to teach anatomy to the students studying medicine at St George’s University. We dissected Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 3.00pm with tutorials after lunch. The teaching staff are really passionate about what they do and are excellent teachers.

During my time I dissected an arm, leg, hand and spine. On the leg, for example, I had to expose all of the major nerves and arteries that supply it, and expose the tarsal tunnel (one of my favourite bits of anatomy - a very sad thing to admit!) Those who excelled at dissection during our time there had the opportunity to carry out micro dissection using specialist tools as part of a research project

Dissecting is really challenging, whether it’s testing your fine motor skills, knowledge of the body or your patience when dissecting intricate bits of anatomy. I have certainly come away from the experience with a greater understanding and appreciation of human anatomy.

The trip isn’t all work and no play; we certainly kept ourselves entertained when not in the anatomy lab. The campus is great and we had unlimited access to the facilities on campus, including a gym and a secluded bay where we would often go to swim in the warm sea. We also took advantage of the free buses available to students to take us to the local beaches. The Gran Anse beach is beautiful and was where many of us students spent our down time.

We also went waterfall jumping, toured the local rum factory, took a catamaran to the fish market and went clubbing with the American students studying at St George’s University. One of the most enjoyable things I did was Hash Running through the rainforest; it was a fantastic way to explore the rain forest, often being forced to take tricky and challenging routes. This was just some of the stuff we did during our time, we were even lucky enough to have a traditional Grenadian breakfast and lunch put on for us by the staff!

This opportunity is available to the top scoring first year students who take a voluntary entry anatomy exam during the second term. Students have to arrange and pay for their own travel to and from Grenada as well as food and entertainment whilst out there. St George’s University puts us up for free in their student accommodation.

Whilst I have come away knowing that I do not wish to pursue a career in medical anatomy it is an invaluable experience. If you ever get the chance to go I would thoroughly recommend it!

Sarah Hill : 08 Jan 2014 11:42 |  Tags: Amrit Anatomy Grenada Mbchb Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem