How to take notes in anatomy and physiology

Do you struggle to understand how to take notes in anatomy and physiology? Most A&P instructors are convinced that note taking skills are important for students to practice.

However, the best method for taking notes in a science class such as anatomy and physiology – a class that is so concentrated with facts and new ideas – is not always apparent.

One thing you can do is to develop a set of easy to remember short codes for words that are used repeatedly.  It is always good to have a personal form of shorthand, short codes, to use because some words are used frequently. There is much repetition in anatomic names, and you can take advantage of that in devising your personal shorthand.

Taking limited notes

Limit your writing to the major ideas when taking notes. More important than how much you write is how well your notes match what your instructor hopes you will remember. Do not try to be a mind reader and guess what part of the presented and reading material is most important! The major desired takeaway message is designed by your instructor.

to discover the takeaway message, I suggest that you take notes during the first three lectures. For each lecture try a slightly different system for how you construct your notes such as outlines, charts, abbreviated sentences.

And then, meet with your instructor during office hours or make an appointment. Ask your instructor if your notes contain the most important points delivered in those lectures. Show your instructor your actual notes and ask for a critique.

I know this can be scary. But your instructor will be thrilled you care enough to ask these questions before exam time. If the instructor’s critique is that you missed some important items, ask for strategies for detecting the important points during the next lecture.

It is critical that you find out your instructor’s style of teaching early in the course rather than late. Some instructors will be happy if you get the major points that they write on the board. Some will want you to have in your notes all the major points that they verbalized. Some instructors will give just enough detail to provide a high-level overview of a subject. Some will delve deeply into the details of a very limited topic. Some will talk fast, and some will talk slow. Some will tell stories to get a difficult idea across.

Reviewing notes for accuracy

Reviewing your notes for accuracy soon after class finishes is more important than capturing every word of the lecture. If you write notes by hand, do you have trouble reading your own writing? If yes, be sure to edit, copy, or type your notes as soon as possible after the lecture.

The longer you wait, the less likely you will be able to reconstruct them with accuracy. You should do this step after every lecture. Because if you do not do it daily you will waste many hours trying to figure them out later as you study for the exam. If you are short of time, quickly scan your notes and try to restate the major ideas in two to three short sentences while the lecture is still fresh in your mind. Write those sentences at the end of your notes.

For students who want more help organizing their notes and creating a study plan, I also recommend the “Busy Student’s Anatomy & Physiology Study Journal.” It is available at Amazon. Click here for a look inside.

Other note taking strategies

Another note taking strategy that really works is to assemble a study group with several of your classmates. Compare what your notes include to their notes. Does it seem like you were all at the same lecture? Make a list of the unclear ideas and formulate specific questions that the group can ask the instructor. 

Note taking strategies extend beyond your handwritten material. Make note of how many questions on exams will be from the lectures and how many from the reading material. If a lot of emphasis in exams will be on the reading material, make notes from the book and ask your instructor to critique them as well. Do not copy every idea presented in your text to your notes. Scan for the topics your instructor has emphasized and compare what the book says with the notes you took in class. If your notes do not match the book, go ask your instructor to clarify.

You may find that you must adjust your note taking strategies for each instructor. Or you may find a system of note taking that works for most of your biology courses. Either way, learning the true objectives of each course, and the strategies that are recommended by your instructor for meeting those objectives will enable you to get high scores on your exams. You will avoid the anxiety that makes your stomach hurt every time exams are returned, and you must look at the grade.

Further Reading

Repetition in Anatomic Names

Study Anatomy and Physiology for Maximum Learning

Do you have questions?

Please put your questions in the comment box or send them to me by email at DrReece@MedicalScienceNavigator.com. I read and reply to all comments and email.

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Margaret Thompson Reece PhD, physiologist, former Senior Scientist and Laboratory Director at academic medical centers in California, New York and Massachusetts is now Manager at Reece Biomedical Consulting LLC.

She taught physiology for over 30 years to undergraduate and graduate students, at two- and four-year colleges, in the classroom and in the research laboratory. Her books “Physiology: Custom-Designed Chemistry”, “Inside the Closed World of the Brain”, and her online course “30-Day Challenge: Craft Your Plan for Learning Physiology”, and “Busy Student’s Anatomy & Physiology Study Journal” are created for those planning a career in healthcare. More about her books is available at https://www.amazon.com/author/margaretreece. You may contact Dr. Reece at DrReece@MedicalScienceNavigator.com, or on LinkedIn.

Dr. Reece offers a free 30 minute “how-to-get-started” phone conference to students struggling with human anatomy and physiology. Schedule an appointment by email at DrReece@MedicalScienceNavigator.com.