Radiology Forums

clopresti79 · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Richmond, Virginia

I've been wanting to go into the medical field for quite some time. I have a huge interest in medical imaging. Here's the thing. I just completed Anat & Phys I as one of the prereqs for the program. I got a pretty decent grade, B. The sad thing is, I really didn't learn a thing. I found it to be pretty difficult and didn't retain much information at all (if anything really). I will need to know this stuff if I get accepted into the program and Im feeling pretty freaked out. How will I ever get through the program if Im not good in Anatomy & Physiology??? Any advice??

exnoctem · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Connecticut

You know, i felt that way right after my first A&P course. While i'm not going to lie to you and say you'll be fine, the amount and type of anatomy knowledge you need will really depend on the exact discipline of imaging you want to do. If you are interested in diagnostic X-ray for instance, you most definetly need to know your skeletal and digestive systems... but i've found that i haven't used the knowledge i had in terms of soft tissue and other bodily systems(endocrine, nervous, etc.). In CT, and much moreso in MRI, you will need to know your anatomy in relation to soft tissues MUCH more.

When/if you begin diagnostic imaging classes you will get more anatomy and if imaging is really what you want to do you should retain it. I learned more in anatomy from radiology classes than i did A&P. My advice to you would be to go forward with diagnostic imaging if its something you really want, and brush up on your skeletal system as that is something you most defently are going to need to know.

radstudentinnc · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 7

If you ended up with a B and didn't get it then you are fine. You must have worked hard to get the "B" and if you continue with that work ethic you will be good, 99% of the RT program is dedicating yourself, most of the stuff you learn you will never use but if you work hard to retain it even if you question what is really going on you'll be fine. Plus, it is very much a foundation you are building in xray and it will "click"!! It did for me around mid 2nd semester.

Sidney · Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 53

Don't worry about it. Once you start your positioning courses, you should be going over the anatomy in class of the parts you are learning to x-ray at that point. It'll a good review of anatomy. You'll realize that you retained a lot more than you think you did.

TheXrayGourmet · Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 33

I know how you feel! That is really funny! I got an "A" in A&PI and a "B" in A&PII. And I feel that I didnt learn a darn thing either. It is just so much information crammed at you in a short amount of time. i just got accepted into my program and start July 1st. I was "told" that you really need to know skeletal mainly and the other stuff not so much. It's mainly the anatomy part and not the physiology that you need to know. Plus they go over it all again. I will be brushing up on the bones, and all the basics for sure this 4 weeks I have b4 my classes start that is for sure. Good luck to you!