Posted by lae2 on September 04, 2011 at 14:50:16:
Some of you may be frustrated by a schism between your laboratory score and your written examination score.
Some people decide to spend more time studying the written and less time studying in the laboratory. This may not be the best solution. For the most part, the written examination assesses the degree to which you can communicate what you see in the laboratory. The degree that you create a mental image for the reader? This ability may impact the survival of your patients.
You may have done well in the laboratory because you have a knack for intuition or gut feelings. Do not rely on intuition. Studying in the laboratory is studying for the written examination.
Having identified a structure in the laboratory, ask yourself how you know. For example, this is the lacunar ligament because...... Finish the sentence with multiple clauses using anatomical terminology to explain the relationships the lock the indentification. Recite it again as you walk down the hallway.
Give up non-anatomical terminology like over, above, on top of, underneath, down thare, thataway, or "viewed from behind." Floor and roof are poisonousness psuedoanatomical terms.
Admittedly, there is information in the textbook that is not immediately accessible in the laboratory. Lymphatic drainages a case in point. Cutaneous innervations and dermatomes another case in point. Indeed, study the books in preparation for the written examination. But, gross anatomy is accessible in the laboratory. Your task is not to be a medical illustrator. Your task is to communicate anatomy. This is what the written examination is largely about.