How I Survived Anatomy & Physiology: study tips & tricks for OT students

    

    Anatomy and physiology (A&P) was definitely the most difficult course of my undergrad so far. Surviving this class is essentially a right of passage in the OT world, at my school at least. For both semesters of my sophomore year, A&P challenged me both academically and mentally. I shed many tears and was awake for some late nights, but it was all worth it in the end. If I could go back and tell my past self that I passed anatomy (with A's!) I don't think I would have believed it! 

Hopefully, my experience can help other students who are struggling with this course too- here's how I did it!

Make Mental Health a Priority

    On the first day of our A&P lecture, the professor told us something along the lines of "this is the hardest class you will ever take, and it is more important than all the other courses you are taking this semester." I was terrified! With such difficult content, professors and older students telling me how awful it is, and an already busy schedule, it was easy to put my mental health on the backburner. Remembering to take time away from studying for some self-care and exercise is important to avoid burn out. Talking & socializing with non-OT friends was also super helpful because they were not totally immersed in anatomy like we all were, and it was good to get a break! As soon as I made mental health my focus, I was much happier and much more successful academically. It's truly all about balance!

How I Studied

     Visual learning techniques were the best way for me to understand A&P content. For learning the muscles and bones (plus all the details about them), whiteboards were super helpful. I would find a study room or an empty classroom with a whiteboard and draw out/diagram everything I was trying to learn. Something about using colors and creating visuals was super helpful for me in comprehending the material! As you can see in the video below, empty classrooms were my favorite because I could use the projector to copy pictures, there was a ton of whiteboard space, there were not many other people in the building at night, and I could even play Spotify over the speakers, which was an extra bonus. 

    If you don't have access to whiteboards, another helpful trick I learned was using a sheet protector as a makeshift whiteboard. I would print out or create diagrams of muscles/bones and practice labeling the parts by putting the paper in a sheet protector and writing on it with a dry erase marker. It works just like a whiteboard and can be used on the go!

    For our lecture exams, I studied by creating what I called my "study sheets." My professor gave us a study guide for each exam with a list of the topics we covered in that unit, and the corresponding textbook figures that we needed to know. If your professor doesn't provide a study guide, take a few minutes to make your own! It certainly helps to have a definitive list of topics before you start studying, especially since there is so much material to know in A&P! To create my study sheets, I would work through the study guide with my textbook and lecture notes topic by topic. I would draw out the figures and information I needed to know (with my colored pens of course) for each section prior to the upcoming exam. I would also combine the figures in a way that made sense to me and made sure to write down any questions that came up about topics I didn't understand. Then I would read through my study sheets since they had all the information I needed to know in one place!

    The best part about making study sheets was that once it was time for the final exam, I already had all the details from every prior exam ready to study. It is so much easier to take a cumulative final when you don't have to waste time finding all your notes and trying to understand your PowerPoint scribbles from 3 months ago!

Take Every Opportunity for Extra Credit Points

    While not every professor does this, our course gave us two opportunities a semester to work on extra credit projects. These were a serious grade booster and also always helped me learn the material so much better! First semester, a friend and I made a song about action potentials (so embarrassing to show in front of the class but fun to make!), and the second semester I created a diagram of some major blood vessels using children's clothes & sharpies (pictured below). 

       Another easy way to get points: go to class! We had clicker questions every day as attendance, which was then factored into our grade. So trust me, it is worth waking up for class even though it may not feel like it at the moment!

Office Hours and Open Labs

    Since A&P material is so difficult and hands-on- I would definitely recommend going to open labs if that is helpful for you. Try to find times that have fewer people, since it can be quite overwhelming when your whole cohort is trying to cram for an exam in the same room. TA's are literally getting paid to help you so use them and ask questions during open lab times!

    Office hours are also so important. It is a great way to get your specific questions answered by your professors in a one-on-one environment. 

    This is just what worked best for me over the last year- but everyone learns differently! I would suggest trying many study strategies until you find what works for you! I only learned that I am a quiet learner by trying to study with people who were talkative learners! Above all- remember that mental health is so important and even though A&P is not easy, you will get through! Let me know in the comments or on my Instagram if you try out any of these tips! Happy Studying!