Anatomy on Crack at my school

[CastMemberR]

So I am finding this a little unfair and wanted to see if anyone else is having or had a similar experience to me with Anatomy. At my college, they do Anatomy in 2 classes. Anatomy Lab and Anatomy Lecture. You can take them separately or simultaneously. However, they do not piggyback with each other. The classes are so difficult that they require about 15 hours of outside study per week, per class in order to be successful. The professors take pride that our college is more difficult than other competing colleges and they say they teach a level of anatomy that is taught in medical school.

Here's where I get frustrated: All of the other community colleges in our area teach Anatomy in 1 class. And after picking the brains of former students, their anatomy is MUCH easier than what I am currently enduring. I was told by the nursing program counselor to only take Anatomy classes this semester because it is so difficult. I am discovering how right he was. I have no life outside of studying 7 days per week just to keep up. So far I am doing well, but it's a lot of work. LOTS OF WORK.

With how impacted our nursing program is, only the top students get the spots each year. And since our school only takes 32 per year (each fall) it's even more challenging to compete with the 150-200 applicants each year. That puts enormous pressure to have top GPAs ( I currently hold a 4.0) and they only take the top TEAS testers (having a passing score barely helps you). I am sure you all can imagine how difficult it makes it and then you add the extreme rigor of our science department that is seemingly unheard of at most other schools. I think my hair is gray already! lol

Which leads me to my initial probe, is anyone else experiencing this at their school? I don't see how forcing us to take a higher than necessary level of anatomy is going to help me get paid more as an RN. You know what I mean? Any thoughts out there? :) Thanks and happy studying to all those students out there!

[Alisonisayoshi, LVN]

That's very similar to my anatomy course. Yeah, I am so so very grateful now in nursing school that I was instructed in an "on crack" course. I cannot stress how invaluable a more challenging anatomy course really is.

[ihood]

Wow I couldnt imagine how I would feel if I were you. Sounds like scuicide lol jk.But I havent had this experience all of my lecture and labs have been coupled. But I am glad to know your doing well. Personally I think even though it is difficult it will prepare you for what nursing school will be like.So if you can survive this you can survive nursing school. Good Luck and God bless

[sraeh88]

Sounds about right. I had anatomy and physiology which included the lab and lecture. I had class mon thru Thursday, four hours long and then mon through Saturday, sometimes Saturday I would study for eight hours. I ended up with a B+

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

In my nursing school there was A&P I and A&P II. Both I and II had both a 3 credit lecture component--which focused much more on the physiology than the anatomy and a 1 credit lab component, which was almost exclusively anatomy based. The lecture and lab were close in terms of schedule (i.e. studying the same organ systems at the same times); however, the grades for each were totally separate and how well you did in one component had no bearing on well your did in the other. Basically you spend more time in the 1 credit lab than the 3 credit lecture, and I think I spent more time outside of class focusing on the lab than on the lecture.

I think what you (the OP) describe is pretty typical at most schools. A&P is not an easy class and, in a quality program, doing well requires quite a bit of study time. Such is the price of success in nursing.