Tips for studying Human Anatomy!

Hello!
How's your studies going on?
Well this post is specifically targeted to the beginners...............
Well before I can dare to give you some tips that will probably help you in learning human anatomy I need to ask you 3 questions-
1.Do you like Anatomy?
 OR
2.Do you hate it?
OR
3.Are you a beginner?

So no matter what your answer is... I would first ask you to wipe all negativity about anatomy. Because as you follow my tips you'll gradually start getting more interest.

So, First repeat in you mind thrice a day that 'Anatomy is fun' (It would really help)

Be thorough with bones-
For dental students,you should first be thoroughly familiar with the bones and surface anatomy of the skull.
Having trouble remembering the bones?
Refer to a book (such as Anand's anatomy) for osteology part. It has photographs of skull rather than just diagrams so you'll grasp more from it.
AND dont forget to have a skull (or any other bone that you're studying) in your hand. First read from the book and look for it in the photograph and then close your book and try to locate in the skull. Repeat this process.

If you revise Twice a week for 3 weeks then you will not forget it.

Visualization really helps-
Now coming to the other point.I feel the best way to learn anatomy is visualization.
Its almost impossible to cram everything and recall exactly when you need it particularly in Viva.
For example if the examiner asks you the origin of lateral pterygoid muscle (one of the muscle of mastication) you can't just say that it arises from 2 head-
Upper head- From lateral pterygoid plate of spheniod bone.
Lower head- From the greater wing of spheniod bone.

This answer is incomplete and you wont get enough marks for it.
 So the correct answer would be
Upper head origin- From the lateral surface of the lateral pterygoid plate of the spheniod bone.
Lower head- From the infratemporal surface of the greater wing of spheniod bone.

So for remembering these minute details the "Cram cum visualization technique" works.

What you have to do is to learn to visualize. It doesn't necessarily means that your imagination should be correct. It should just be buried in your mind so that you can recall it.

So if you are learning for example the origin and insertion of masseter muscle (a muscle of mastication)
Then its origin is- Temporal fossa upto the inferior temporal line.
So at this point you need to imagine the muscle originating from the inferior temporal line and covering the temporal fossa.

Now for insertion- It inserts on to the tip, anterior and posterior border and the medial surface of the coronoid process of the mandible. It doesn't inserts on to the lateral surface so here the visualization technique is very useful.

Imagine the coronoid process of the mandible.
Now we had imagined the muscle originating from the inferior temporal line covering the temporal fossa. Now just extent the muscle further upto the coronoid process and imagine its fibres inserting on to the tip, anterior and posterior border and the medical surface. Now repeat this visualization in your mind atleast thrice and you're done.

Mnemonics-

This is very useful for learning branches of artery and nerves.You may google it.
You should try making your own. 

Learn from diagrams-

Practice the diagrams and this will help you remember the contents.

Last day revision must-
No matter how many times I revised, I always felt that the last day revision proved to be most useful. So so revise a day before exam.

Hope its mildly useful :)