The general style is like this: The professors and TAs set up stations within the two laboratories, displaying good bodies as well as bones, skulls, and radiographs. Each station had maybe 2-3 things to identify. We have 50 seconds per station. Structures can be pinned, wrapped with string, or anything really to identify it well. We may be asked to identify the actual structure or describe what innervates or supplies blood to it. Some questions included: What ganglion does parasympathetic nerves pass through to supply special sensory to THIS organ. Things like that. The entire test took about 2 hours.
I felt prepared, but I definitely still missed quite a few.
Next time, I plan on going down to the anatomy lab more often before the exam to really look at every single structure that may be tested - that kind of dedication and persistence is probably necessary. But also, it's really helpful to just study with a partner. Not only does it keep your motivated, you really help each other. And, if you can identify and explain to someone else, that means you really know it. This probably really applies to most subjects in medical school. We have our lecture exam on Monday, and I plan to spend most of my time at the carrels to ask questions to my colleagues (who i've gotten quite close too... :) )
Tutoring sessions with the TAs are definitely useful. A lot of the TAs are part of the OMFS (oral and maxillofacial surgery) program, which is pretty elite. At our school, you enter the competitive program after 4 years of dental school, and it involved a 6 year mixed program of medical school (years 2, 3,4) with residency. So these TAs are both students and residents as well.
They also make quite a few dollars being TAs. I heard one tutor earned $11,000 during the anatomy course (september-november). The TA that our group uses earns $40 an hour on private tutoring sessions alone. And the thing is, the TAs actually benefit from this because they will really know their anatomy. My TA was saying how he performed a surgery in the occipital region of the head, and what he teaches us really comes in handy. One word: Baller.
I can't wait until I work with a real body (or a fresher cadaver...)
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| Ratatat Concert - Palladium Ballroom. 28Sept2010 |
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