Preparing for A&P

Piper98, ASN, RN · May 26, 2018

I started with Crash Course On YouTube. It covers a lot, although not super in depth, but a great starting point. It is easy to watch, and funny, too.

Serhilda, ADN, RN · May 28, 2018

Crash Course is great, as she mentioned. I'd figure out what the first exam is over (mine was a basic chemistry and biology review test) and get a head start. It could also be over terminology such as knowing the difference between medial and lateral, proximal or distal, brachial or antecubital.

lehaley1989, ADN, RN · May 28, 2018

There's a website called Khan Academy that has an awesome section on A&P. I used it to refresh my knowledge before starting my nursing program, but I think the videos would also be great for someone who hasn't taken it yet.

PursuingADream · May 28, 2018

Oh perfect! I've used those for micro before.I'll definitely check them out! Thank you

LasVagusNerve · May 30, 2018

professorfink

- YouTube

Watch Professor Fink! I cannot stress how much this helped me in A&P. I hardly had to study for the exams because I already knew everything, but that's because I am a huge nerd and took notes on all the videos and prepared extremely well. You don't have to do that. Just watch his lectures on anatomy and physiology and try and pay attention. The key is to familiarize yourself with the terminology so that when you get in class and your teacher lectures on something--let's say the nervous system--and he/she mentions an action potential or the sodium/potassium pump, you already have a decent idea on what that is.

If you're a huge nerd like me you can start watching his videos now if you'd like, but no matter what I would definitely suggest watching his videos right before your teacher lectures on a specific topic. So if your professor is starting the skeletal system in a week, start watching all of Prof Fink's videos on the skeletal system so by the time you start on that topic in class, you've already gotten used to a lot of the terms and vocabulary. This will make your professor's lectures make a lot more sense!

Hope this helps--good luck! (:

SoonToBeNurseB · Jun 5, 2018

As mentioned above, Crash Course is a life saver. I listen to it on my drive to and from work everyday to reinforce information. But, I feel that the best thing I have done to prepare myself for A and P is taking a Medical Terminology class. A lot of people thing it is unnecessary, however the class at my Community College is 16 weeks, and it goes over each system in its own chapter and has been a life saver. You learn the different parts of the system, basics of how they come together to work, common tests and disorders related to each system. We focus on how to break down a word to find it's meaning so you don't memorize 150+ words a chapter - just basic word parts. If you don't want to take it in a class, the name of the book is The Language of Medicine. Best thing I ever did!

PursuingADream · Jun 5, 2018

Wow thanks so much everyone! Definitely feel more prepared! Cant wait to watch all these videos, because ya, Im a medical nerd :)

Natasha A., CNA, LVN · Jun 8, 2018

Check out NINJA NERD SCIENCE on YouTube. He is Spectacular! Great for a visual learner

Violet Appleseed · Jun 8, 2018

Get your book early and start memorizing the muscles and bones. There are so many and it's a lot of mental load to do all that memorization, so if you already know a lot of the muscles or bones, it frees up some mental energy to learn the physiology. You probably won't remember all of them between summer and when your class starts and you get to it, but it will be easier to memorize the second time around. Good luck!

sunshineee · Jun 9, 2018

I agree you should start learning the bones and muscles. There are so many! A&P are really hard courses. I ended up with an A in human anatomy, but I studied day and night, even on weekends and I had a full time job! I would watch youtube videos, Khan academy and I also got flash cards from amazon. They were really helpful. Be prepared to study a lot!