Anatomy colloquiums: How are they?

My first anatomy exam was definitely scary, because I had no idea if I know enough and how the exam situation really is.

That's why in this post I will tell you specifically how anatomy colloquiums are.

You can read more about how I studied for anatomy in this blog post.

Theory exam

The theory exam in anatomy is based on the DemoLab classes. The DemoLab classes are online, and the professor basically just goes through all the structures you need to know one by one. I wouldn't say that the lessons are that... educational. You should be there so you know what structures you need to know, because there is no list of everything you need to know for the theory exam, the same way there is for the practical exam.

Basically, this list is all you will have to guide you towards what to study for the theory exam.

The theory exam consists of 2 parts, MCQs and sequential questions. The MCQs are very specific and hard to study for the first time. But if you feel like you have a good grasp on most of the things described in this list, you'll do fine.

The sequential questions are in my experience, easier than the MCQs. You will be provided with a picture of a body part (for the first colloquium, a bone), and there will be arrows with numbers pointing to different structures on the picture. The questions will be like: "What is structure number 5?" "What ligament connects structures 5 and 6?". They are called sequential questions, but honestly you just need to practice the pictures of the structures. If you can't name 1 thing, it won't affect whether you can answer the rest or not.

Practical exam

The practical exam in anatomy is based on the list of structures you're provided. (same document as the previous picture, just scroll down to the second page of it)

In the practical exam, 3 people are asked to come into the classroom. Everyone is given a paper randomly with 10 structures on it from the list. Then the first will have a little bit of time to prepare before you show the structures on the models. The models will be at the front of the class and you can find everything there. You can also bring your own models from the office if you've practiced with specific ones.

You have around 30 seconds to point out each structure on a model. The teacher will take the paper and ask each structure one at a time, and you will show the structure on a model. The teachers are quite nice and understanding if you stammer. It might be stressful on the first time, but honestly, the practical exam is extremely chill. I'd say it's the chillest exam in all the subjects. You should always aim to get a 10 on the practical, because then you don't need to do so well on the theoretical exam. More on that here.

Always bring your student ID with you to a colloquium. If you lost yours or forgot it, often a national ID or drivers license is sufficient.

I'd suggest to study for the theoretical exam throughout the course, but you can cram for the practical in a few days. (In my experience)

Good luck with your exams!