The Unofficial Guide to First Year - University of Oklahoma Health ...

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE
Knowing all the information from the written portion will not prepare you well
enough for the practical exam (I know this for a FACT). Likewise, knowing all
the information from the dissection/practical portion will not prepare you at all
for the written portion. You must study both thoroughly.
You will need a lab coat for dissection. If you have a lab coat from
undergrad, this will be fine. You just need one to keep you somewhat clean
during dissection. You will also want to wear clothes and shoes that you won’t
mind throwing away after the semester is completed. You need to wear long
pants and your shoes must be close-toed. Scrubs are pretty much required.
Please take your clothes home and wash them once in awhile. Each group will
need a dissection kit (you get one free during an AMA event during orientation)
and gloves… lots and lots of gloves. Finally, each group will want to have a
Netter’s Atlas and lab dissector from Hippocrates down in lab. There will be
many atlases from previous years down in the lab, but it is not a certainty that
there will be one free or in usable condition for your group. Your group can
probably pair up with the other group that shares the same cadaver and all nine
of you can buy one and keep it in a locker that each group can access. The group
can assign a group member to print out the dissector and bring it down to lab.
Having this handy is essential in consolidating your time, seeing that the
majority of the test will be over the bolded terms. Each of you will be able to
have a locker in the lab. It’s best to keep your dissection kit, gloves, your lab coat
and your group’s atlas in the lockers. Also, be sure to lock the lockers.
You need to go over the structures you will be dissection before lab. If
you don’t do this, you won’t get much out of the dissection. To prepare for lab,
you can do one of two things, or better yet, do both. One way is to go over
Chung’s book with an atlas. You can also use the Moore textbook (it has
pictures and might be easier than Chung’s the first time through). The best way
is to go online at Hippocrates and watch the dissection videos, and go over the
interactive lab guide. Each dissection has been performed by faculty and
videotaped for you to watch online. Your anatomy lecture will cover whatever
you are dissecting that day. So generally, if you prepare for the lecture portion,
you will probably be prepared for the dissection portion.
You must also print off the dissection manual before class. This is also available
on Hippocrates and it gives you systematic instructions for dissection. However,
you still need to prepare for dissection.
Get involved during dissection. If you don’t, you will have more
difficulty learning the material. Don’t be afraid to ask the TA’s or the anatomy
professors for help. However, they will want you to genuinely try to find the
structure before asking. Don’t ask for help simply because you are being lazy.
You must complete your dissection each day. The other group depends on it,
and you don’t want to burn bridges. If you simply can’t find a structure, call
46