FAQ: Math, Science, and Accounting Tutoring Services

Lab exams in an anatomy & physiology course can be intimidating, especially when you’re told that you have two weeks to memorize every bone in the body. However, with some practice and guidance, lab exams don’t have to be so daunting! This FAQ will offer some tips for preparing for your next lab exam.

1. Identify what structures you need to know. At the beginning of each chapter, A&P professors will often provide a list of body structures that pertain to that chapter. Alternatively, these structures may be listed in the syllabus. It might be helpful to familiarize yourself with the names of the important structures before even attempting to identify their location or function. By familiarizing yourself with the names alone, you are priming yourself for recognizing what structures are more significant while watching lectures or reading the textbook. This step can make learning and studying less overwhelming down the line.
2. Connect the structures to their function. After skimming through the structures that you need to know, you can start to connect their name with their location and function. Although lab exams and lecture exams are separate, the information still lines up and it can be beneficial to know what that structure does when you need to identify its location. For example, if you know that the levator scapulae muscle elevates the scapula but you don’t know exactly where it is, you can make the educated guess that it’s one of the muscles that insert into the scapula. Understanding how the structure’s location relates to the function, you can develop a deeper understanding of the significance of the structure.
3. Memorize! The procedure for lab exams in anatomy & physiology is typically that you will be presented with a model and asked to identify specific structures on the model. Depending on your learning style, there are multiple ways to approach memorizing structures. Many A&P students tend to prefer visual and kinesthetic methods of learning, which means looking at pictures and/or manipulating the models in-person can be more helpful when studying for lab exams. 
   • One option is to use flashcards that have pictures of the structures on one side, and the name of the structure on the other. At the bottom of this FAQ is a collection of Quizlets with pictures of nearly every structure you’ll need to study, which can be a very effective way to study since many of the models are similar to those used in the lab at KCC. Another option is to go into the A&P lab and take pictures of the models to create your own flashcards!
   • If flashcards aren’t helpful to you, you may want to visit the A&P lab and study with the models in person. Models are also available in the tutoring center. This way, you can orient yourself to what the models are and identify each of the structures before the lab exam. This can be a good way to study the day of the exam because the names and locations of the structures will be fresh in your mind.
   • Although it might sound silly, using an anatomy coloring book such as the popular Netter’s Anatomy Coloring Book is a surprisingly effective way for many A&P students to study for lab exams! Being able to identify and color parts of the body is a great way for visual/kinesthetic learners to engage in learning the structures. These books typically include labeling exercises similar to what a lab exam might look like, so even if you don’t want to color it can still be a useful tool. Attached at the bottom of this FAQ are some sample pages, and many more are available for free online!
4. Have a system in place. When you figure out the best study method for you, it’s usually a good idea to keep track of what structures you fully understand and which parts you need to spend more time on. One way to do this is to make a copy of the list of structures on a word processor and create a color-coded version as you study. For example, you can use one color to highlight structures that you haven’t studied, another for those that you have started studying but haven’t completely mastered, and another color for those that you feel you’ve mastered and don’t need to study as much. These lists often have a large number of structures to memorize, so having a way to organize what you have and haven’t studied can ensure that you don’t miss any important information.
5. Mnemonics! Mnemonics (nuh-mah-niks) are devices used to memorize information by creating phrases or acronyms that make it easier to recall information. For example, if you’re studying for a lab exam about the carpals in the wrist, you might want to dedicate the phrase “She Likes To Play, Try To Catch Her” to memory. The first letter of each word corresponds to the names of the carpal bones: Scaphoid, Lunate Triquetrum, Pisiform, Trapezium, Trapezoid, Capitate, and Hamate. Making up your own mnemonics can be even more helpful to memorization; the sillier and more personalized they are, the more likely you are to remember them!