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Do med students need a skeleton

Hi

Please could current (or recent) medical students advise whether it's necessary or advisable to have a skeleton for undergraduate studies? If so, did you buy your own or did your med school loan one to you?

Thanks
Original post by thraag
Hi

Please could current (or recent) medical students advise whether it's necessary or advisable to have a skeleton for undergraduate studies? If so, did you buy your own or did your med school loan one to you?

Thanks


No, it definitely isn't. The anatomy dept of the med school will probably have one you can use during anatomy session but you shouldn't need one outside of that. There are plenty of excellent anatomy resources available to use to learn anatomy, and I'll tell you muscles and nerves are much more of a pain to learn than the bones!
Reply 2
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Helenia
20
Original post by thraag
Hi

Please could current (or recent) medical students advise whether it's necessary or advisable to have a skeleton for undergraduate studies? If so, did you buy your own or did your med school loan one to you?

Thanks


Not necessary, no. My college loaned us plastic skeletons for the first year, but while moderately useful in learning anatomy, it's perfectly manageable without.
Reply 3
Avatar for thraag
thraag
OP
Original post by ForestCat
No, it definitely isn't. The anatomy dept of the med school will probably have one you can use during anatomy session but you shouldn't need one outside of that. There are plenty of excellent anatomy resources available to use to learn anatomy, and I'll tell you muscles and nerves are much more of a pain to learn than the bones!


Thanks for the advice.

Following on from that, I've seen it suggested that a skull would be worth getting in order to see the many and various foramina, muscle insertions etc. Again, would you feel it's advisable to have one or is it unecessary?
Reply 4
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Tootles
21
Original post by thraag
Hi

Please could current (or recent) medical students advise whether it's necessary or advisable to have a skeleton for undergraduate studies? If so, did you buy your own or did your med school loan one to you?

Thanks
Having a skeleton is very useful, even if you aren't a med student. Otherwise you might wind up just collapsing onto the floor like a pile of mush.
Reply 5
Avatar for thraag
thraag
OP
Original post by Tootles
Having a skeleton is very useful, even if you aren't a med student. Otherwise you might wind up just collapsing onto the floor like a pile of mush.



Spoiler

Original post by thraag
Thanks for the advice.

Following on from that, I've seen it suggested that a skull would be worth getting in order to see the many and various foramina, muscle insertions etc. Again, would you feel it's advisable to have one or is it unecessary?


Unnecessary.
Original post by thraag
Hi

Please could current (or recent) medical students advise whether it's necessary or advisable to have a skeleton for undergraduate studies? If so, did you buy your own or did your med school loan one to you?

Thanks


Of course, or your limbs would be all floppy.
I imagine most do. Furthermore, since actual human skeletons are in short supply, most will use a molded model of some kind. Why are the real ones in short supply you ask? Well...


(edited 7 years ago)
Its something you get if you want to show you're 'eccentric'.

Back IRL: huge waste of space. Most important anatomy is soft tissue anyway tbh.
Having your own skeleton is strongly recommended at medical school as attending clinical placements as an amorphous blob can make an already stressful period even more so. You will already have enough on your plate with revision and exams without having to protect vulnerable soft tissue and organs.
Reply 11
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Nottie
18
Original post by thraag
Hi

Please could current (or recent) medical students advise whether it's necessary or advisable to have a skeleton for undergraduate studies? If so, did you buy your own or did your med school loan one to you?

Thanks


Naah. Bones are pretty straight forward, if you are really keen you can get a skull model as skull has lots of dimples and holes you are expected to remember.
Instead I'd recommend getting an app on your phone or laptop with all the nerves, blood vessels and muscles.
Reply 12
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thraag
OP
Original post by Nottie
Naah. Bones are pretty straight forward, if you are really keen you can get a skull model as skull has lots of dimples and holes you are expected to remember.
Instead I'd recommend getting an app on your phone or laptop with all the nerves, blood vessels and muscles.


Thanks everyone for your thoughts and guidance.
No, they have them in anatomy, and I don't think they're particularly any more instructive than illustrations in a book.
Original post by thraag
Thanks for the advice.

Following on from that, I've seen it suggested that a skull would be worth getting in order to see the many and various foramina, muscle insertions etc. Again, would you feel it's advisable to have one or is it unecessary?


If your medical school does head and neck quite in depth then I would definitely recommend a skull. Head and neck is much more 3D than the rest of the body and buying a skull definitely helped me. For the rest of the body I wouldn't really say it's necessary, but I'm sure some people find it somewhat useful. It all depends on how well you're progressing through anatomy, you may find you need nothing but atlases to understand.

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