Online Anatomy class. Yes or No?

[beautybelle]

Im thinking about taking an Anatomy 1 class online. Ive heard pros and cons of both. Heres the story. Ive decided to go back to school and get my RN license and the college that Im going to wont let me take a chemistry class and an Anatomy class in the same semester. Well I would REALLY love to get this done and everyone tells me that the chem 05 class im taking is like a high school class and will be very easy.
Heres what im asking. Do you think I should go ahead and take the Anatomy class online through a different college this semester or wait till fall and take it on campus at my college?

 

[KristaTX]

One way to decide would be what the labs are like. If it's a human cadaver class, take it on campus. If you're just gonna be dissecting pigs, cats, and sheep hearts, take it online. Mine wasn't a cadaver class, and I didn't learn a lot about human anatomy by dissecting those other creatures. I'm sure other people will have differing opinions, though.

 

[Northstar]

Will your college give you credit for the online course at a different college?

If so, sure, take the course (after carefully investigating the amount of work involved and deciding whether it's too much for you)

If not, or if when you ask, you get told about a lot of paperwork and hoops you'd need to jump through to get the credit, I would wait and take the course at your college.

 

[jordansmomma]

Is it just anatomy or is it Physio also?
A&P is a lot, I wouldn't take it with Chem.
Chem is basic, but anatomy is knowing muscles, tissues, CR, functions, its a lot of work.
We disected a cat.
If it were me, I would wait and take it in a classroom setting.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I would find it hard to believe that you would not need to pick up a lab class if you did the didactic online? Unless they have a big lab just associated with a physiology class you must also take?
Is this a ADN program? Because you also need to think down the line for your BSN or even MSN. A less rigorous non lab class would probably not transfer to count for the BSN degree.

 

[bumbershoot]

One way to decide would be what the labs are like. If it's a human cadaver class, take it on campus. If you're just gonna be dissecting pigs, cats, and sheep hearts, take it online. Mine wasn't a cadaver class, and I didn't learn a lot about human anatomy by dissecting those other creatures. I'm sure other people will have differing opinions, though.

Absolutely.

Our first semester of college A&P we stuck with animals, but second semester moved on to studying an already dissected (from UW medical school) cadaver. I avoided it and avoided and avoided, but finally the only way I truly learned was by putting on my gloves (triple-gloved I believe) and getting close, following the muscles from insertion on, etc.

Then in chiropractic school we did the dissecting, and I learned SOOOOO much more. It's a very valuable tool in learning, so I can't imagine you'd get any good solid sense of anything just with an online course.

 

[RitaZ.]

I'm not a nursing student, but I took A&P I and II last year. I took A&P II over the summer and it was very intense. For each section, there was a lab class that accompanied the lecture class. They had to be taken together. I know that one local college offered A&P (lecture part) online. One of my lab classmates took A&P II this way and she said it was horrible. The lab class had to be taken on campus. It's a hands-on class, no online option for this.

Is the chemistry course a pre-requisite to A&P? That's very possible. With online courses, you're mostly self-teaching. I would not recommend it for A&P. If you are going for a nursing degree, I would recommend taking A&P on campus. You really need a solid foundation in Anatomy. It's not just about doing it *fast*, you want to do it well.

Good luck!

 

[Mandychelle79]

I have taken numerous online courses for nursing. I personally could not devote enough time online ( not a high enough attention span) to be able to do A&P online. Or any science class.

 

[Stacerita]

Personally I wouldn't. There is just too much to learn and do that you really need the hands on with an instructor.

 

[ReneeA]

I'm almost done with a RN program right now (Yay!)

The only pre-req classes I would never, ever take online would be A&P and Microbiology. I can't imagine getting all that I needed for those classes from an online course (and I've done quite a few classes online). There is just so much that you get from hands on experience in class...not to mention that most of that material you are going to need to retain, and I seem to retain so much more info from the classroom than I ever did an online course.

 

[PrincessCLM]

I would also say you need to think about what your personal learning style is. There's no way I could've done anatomy online - I'm just not disciplined enough. I tried taking a self-learn kind of course in the middle of A&P and Physics because I thought it would be easier. Biggest mistake of my life. I ended up having to drop the course.
I would look at the requirements for labs/assignments and make your decision from there.

 

[khertz]

No no no, I would NOT recommend taking A&P online! The information is heavy and not something you would easily be able to "teach yourself" through online readings, etc. I remember our instructor spending copius amounts of time going over certain material that the class had trouble "getting." And if you are on the track to a nursing degree, a good foundation in A&P is SO important to have to understand the nursing aspect of things. Because believe me, they don't waste time in nursing school going over A&P concepts, they jump right on in to the heavier stuff! Save yourself the stress and hair pulling.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I agree, you must remember your normal A&P because the day you start nursing you will be focused on pathophisiolgy ......and application.

 

[beautybelle]

Actually my advisor at my current college recommended me taking it online at the other college. He said that at their college Chem 05 was a pre-req to A&P1 there but if I wanted to take in this semester that I could do it online through X college. Ive really really been thinking about it but on the other hand I know that im going to know this stuff backwards and forwards.

 

[RitaZ.]

Actually my advisor at my current college recommended me taking it online at the other college. He said that at their college Chem 05 was a pre-req to A&P1 there but if I wanted to take in this semester that I could do it online through X college. Ive really really been thinking about it but on the other hand I know that im going to know this stuff backwards and forwards.

Was this advisor a professor that teaches A&P? If not, my advice is don't listen to what that advisor said. If I had a penny for every time I've been given erroneous information by an advisor... well, you get the idea! Go speak to one of the A&P professors at your college/university. They teach the course, they know what's expected. Explain your situation to them and go from there.

 

[beautybelle]

Ok Ive decided to wait and do the class on campus. I just feel better about it. Thanks guys.