Taking a course in human anatomy is required for those preparing for healthcare careers as well as those already in medical school. Human anatomy is often offered during undergraduate years because it gives students an understanding into human anatomic functions and structure. It's also the foundation for further research as well as lab activity in the identification of disease.

One reason why students are often surprised at the rigor involved in studying human anatomy, is its complexity. It is not enough to memorize the separate body parts and organs. Students should also be fully versed in how they interact and interrelate to one another. Comprehending the human anatomy in its ideal state enables students to then assess the influences of foreign objects, viruses and illness once they're introduced into the human body.

In certain contexts, there are lab based applications of the course that students should be proficient in. These include diagnostic procedures such as x-rays, sonograms as well as being able to evaluate microscopic sized tissues, organelles and cells.

Developing a clinical vocabulary is one skill critical to being successful in this area of study. Latin and Greek are frequently the basis for medical jargon so there must be a comfort with straying from standard academic English if one intends to do well.

Anatomy is a field that has developed along a historic timeline that students must be familiar with, if not able to trace. Knowing early theories as well as the most current ideas and attitudes related to human health is part of what is expected. Physical Fitness as well as understanding the effect of behavior and diet on the body, is also often a focus of these courses. Everything from the muscular to respiratory functions are also closely examined.

Depending upon the level of anatomy course and context for the work being done in it, study includes the gastrointestinal, circulatory, and urinary systems. In some cases, such as physiology or other programs related to physical rehabilitation, how the body moves and can be repaired after trauma and injury can take on greater importance than in less focused settings.

The clinical component of anatomy courses vary but often cover dissection. Dissection is, however, most intricate and complex at the most intensive level of this area of study. Students undergoing the training required to become MD's can expect to engage in visceral dissection of human anatomic parts. Those only taking foundation courses will not venture this far into the workings of the body.

Because it is a prerequisite for every medical career, anatomy can be considered a challenging course that creates some anxiety for most students who take it. The type of text books used in anatomy courses are said to account for whether many students do well or fail. Some books are better able than others at presenting the vast amounts of information students are required to understand, in simple formats. The combination of theory and lab work is another reason why this can be a difficult gateway course for those on the path of preparing for future nurse practitioner work or medical school, though with hard work, the majority of students required to master the subject do.