Anatomy has petrified me for years. However, as the semester progresses, appreciation replaces apprehension. I’m starting to love anatomy. Initially, the idea of memorizing minute details and foreign Latin-based words filled me with dismay. However, once I get past the plethora of those foreign words, everything becomes conceptually clear.
I make the subject easier for myself by relating it to my two interests: reading maps and learning languages.
The human body is a map chronicling a landscape paved with arteries, routed with nerves, and bordered by muscles. That must be why Dr. Frank Netter publishes an atlas of Human Anatomy instead of a book. The intricate curves of the brachial plexus (that exists in your arm pit) transforms into the twisting asphalt of I-75, I-94, and I-96 in Downtown Detroit; only a native (like me) can navigate that mess.
Though I hate memorization, paradoxically, I happen to love learning languages (as evidenced by my former post), which involves a lot of memorization. Juxtaposing anatomy to the French, Hebrew, or Russian I’ve studied makes memorizing the complex of nerves, roots, veins more bearable.
Today, I took a shower after anatomy lab to wash off the formaldehyde. In the mirror, I traced my latissimus dorsi to the intertubercular sulcus of my humerus (arm). The nearby outline of my pectoralis major revealed the position of my serratus anterior. Looking closely, found my cephalic vein appeared by my deltoid followed it down my arm. A month ago, all these were mere “body parts;” now, they develop meaning as I learn more about myself.
We’ll see how much I love anatomy after our first exam next week.
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