Learning the Skeletal System

My prof did not require us to learn every bone but I have heard there are some that do. I think it would be a good idea to start learning the major players. Go to anatomyarcade.com and get busy on Whack-A-Bone. It's a really fun way to learn many of the bones. Good luck!

-NJ

My class required all of them. The top two vertebrae individually the rest by catagory (cervical, thoracic, etc.). And the ribs were "ribs" not which rib. And we didn't have to know the wrist, hand, ankle and foot bones disconnected from any other as we did the rest of the bones; we did have to know each of them (wrist, etc) while it was attached to the others.

for A&P I, we did not have to learn the names of the carpals and tarsal bones, but most of the other ones. It actually really isn't that much. I'm much more worried about muscles and the nervous system.

forgive any spelling errors (I'm sure there are many), but this is what I had to learn:

cranial and facial bones: frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, sphenoid, ethmoid, lacrimal, maxillae, mandible, zygomatic process, and the different sutures, different features of skull such as mastoid process, jugular foramen, foramen magnum, etc.

cervical vertabrae: C1 (atlas), C2 (axis), C3-C7, thoracic vertabrae T1-T12, lumbar vertabrae L1-L5, saccrum, coccyx

pectoral girdle: scapula & clavicle, responsible for processes on scapula such as acromion, etc

pelvic girdle: coxal bones, identifying parts of the hip bone

humorus, ulna, radius, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges

femur, tibia, fibula

tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges

then all the different types of joints, features of synovial cavities, etc.

I think professors prefer a different variety of each process or depressions of bones, but certainly you won't need to know them all for A&P I (unless you have some really tough professor!)

for A&P I, we did not have to learn the names of the carpals and tarsal bones, but most of the other ones. It actually really isn't that much. I'm much more worried about muscles and the nervous system.

the muscular system is the one I really struggled with b/c the names are so foreign in some cases such as sartorius and gastrocnemius. And those dreaded forearm muscles!

-NJ

Being a Mother or two I too know the importance of trying to start early and twice as hard! I loved the site www.getbodysmart.com it was a great visual online tool and it also has quizes that you can take as well. Good luck with your veture, hope this site helps!

Thanks for the responses! While in medical assisting school, I thought the nervous system was overwhelming, for starters! Granted, I could've/should've applied myself more, got a decent final grade, but I'm really on a mission this time around. LOL

My A&P instructor told me I didn't have the right stuff to be an RN. He gave us an all fill in the blanks test on all the bones in the skeletal system only 6 week into the class. Blew my aspirations for becoming a nurse right down the tubes. Now I am not sure I even want to continue my education in another field. Any advice.

P.S. I really think he was weeding out what he considered to be unsuitable candidates for his A&P class. I guess I need to know if it is up to an instructor to determine how suitable you are?

olivia60, just because an A/P instructor told you he/she "thought" you do not have the right stuff does not mean that you cannot successfully complete nursing. Have you tried volunteering at a local hospital? Volunteering is a great way to get exposure of what it is like in hospital and working with patients. The pre-req's are difficult, but it is not a good measurement of whether or not you will be a good nurse or successfully become one. It is a lot of hard work, but if you have the drive and passion, anyone can do it! Good Luck!

Dont give up an prove him wrong!

I'm sorry but who in the you-know-what does your instructor think he is? Is he a nurse? As a professor, he should be encouraging his students and setting them up for success. Telling them they aren't cut out for a certain profession is not only out of his scope but way out of line. There is no way to tell if someone is cut out for nursing six weeks into an A&P 1 class. Only you can decide if you have the right stuff. Do NOT let this man decide for you.

On that note, the skeletal system was challenging. Lots of memorization not only of bone names but of markings such as tubercles, trochanters, epicondyles, etc etc. It isn't for the faint of heart or for people who do not have the time to study. Cut yourself some slack. YOU CAN DO THIS. Finish this class. Next semester, find a better professor for A&P 2. My suggestion would be to use ratemyprofessor.com to research good A&P instructors at your school. That is how I chose my A&P professor and I couldn't be happier to be in his class. He is encouraging, he cares about us all learning and he genuinely wants to see us succeed. That is what a true professor is like. Your professor sounds like a pious you-know-what trying to weed out "unsuitable candidates" for his class.

Sorry if I sound over the top but any teacher or professor who says things like this to their students makes my blood boil!