Passing the Anatomy 101 practical exam often requires help and tips along with a committed study program. I have prepared this guide to help the anatomy student to better understand the testing procedure called the practical and to help the anatomy student to discover additional ways to succeed when taking the anatomy practical. This study guide is based on my years teaching anatomy and on feedback from my students.

An anatomy practical differs from a standard test in that it will evaluate your understanding based on visual identification rather than written questions for the most part. Many tests include secondary questions that are usually based on proper identification of an object.

There are only so many ways to set up a practical. A femur is a femur, a spleen a spleen. The secondary questions can be a bit more tricky and you should pay close attention to any information your instructor emphasizes during your lecture or in your notes. I will point out relevant information when appropriate but I strongly suggest you correlate your particular instructors notes to the information I provide.

Now take a deep breath and relax. You will be fine.

The first thing you want to do is to close your eyes and envision the lab where you work. Quite often this is where the test will be performed. Picture yourself walking up to the first station and feel the smile come across your face as you get excited by the fact that you already know the answer.

This is very important! Envision yourself being confident, even enlightened! 

The more you create a successful test in your mind, the more it will happen. Plan what you are going to wear. Rehearse the conversation you are going to have with the first person you call after the test. Think about how you will celebrate that night when you are certain you just smoked the anatomy practical.

Sit back for a second and pat yourself on the back.....good job...

Now lets get started.

When you approach the first station you should think big, meaning just focus on what it is:

• It is a slide 
• It is a bone
• It is a muscle
• It is an organ

T.O.M.B

• T: Tissue : Tigers
• O: Organ (includes blood vessels)
• M: Muscle
• B: Bone

This is your first step. When you get to a station you should be able to determine what part of COMB that particular question fits into just by seeing what is in front of you.

If you see a microscope, think tissue. Tissue can be broken down into 4 groups:

• Connective = Can
• Epithelial = Eat
• Muscle = Many
• Nerve = Natives

So Tigers can eat many natives. Tissue is either Connective, Epithelial, Muscle or Nerve.

 T: Tigers Can Eat Many Natives

I don't have a cute acronym for organs since it is such a broad category. But try to remember this:

Think Clean Sex, Eat Breathe and Bleed

• Think: Brain and spinal cord and nerves
• Clean: Liver, Kidney, Spleen, Pancreas
• Sex: Penis, Vagina, Testes, Uterus, Ovaries ect
• Breathe: Lungs, Trachea
• Bleed: Heart, Vessels

When you first look down at a question and have ruled out tissue, bone and muscle, think of the saying

Think Clean Sex, Eat, Breathe and Bleed

Using this can help you to focus on a system rather than everything in the body.

Muscles are pretty obvious. 

Muscles are named after :

• What they do
• Their shape
• Where they go

Bones, like muscles, are obvious. Some key things to watch out for:

• Is it a femur or a humerus
• Is it the tibia or fibula 
• Is it a cervical, thoracic or lumbar vertebrae 
• Is it a metacarpal or metatarsal

Click here to go to Simple Epithelium

Need More Help? Try the Human Anatomy & Physiology Home Study Course which promises to teach you everything you need to know in three days.

Dr. David DeFries is a Chiropractor practicing in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania. 

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