ANATOMY EXAM PREPARATION SUMMARY WITH STUDY FOCUS
Exam Strategy:
- Focus on understanding functional relationships and clinical relevance of anatomical structures. Notes provided are sufficient for your anatomy part.
- Master the labeling exercises and utilize mock tests provided.
- Review cranial nerve defects and their associated clinical presentations.
- For LDS candidates, prioritize high-yield topics and examiner favorites.
High-Yield Topics:
Cranial Nerves:
Trigeminal nerve (CN V): Sensory and motor functions, divisions (V1, V2, V3), branches, clinical significance (e.g., trigeminal neuralgia)
Facial nerve (CN VII): Motor innervation of facial muscles, branches, clinical relevance (e.g., Bell’s palsy)
Olfactory nerve (CN I): Sense of smell, pathway, clinical implications (e.g., anosmia)
Other cranial nerves: Basic understanding of their functions and associated pathologies
Muscles:
Muscles of mastication: Origin, insertion, action, nerve supply
Muscles of facial expression: Innervation, actions, clinical significance (e.g., facial paralysis)
Extraocular muscles: Actions, nerve supply, clinical relevance (e.g., strabismus)
Vascular Supply:
External carotid artery: Branches, areas supplied, clinical significance (e.g., temporal arteritis)
Head and Neck:
Tongue innervation: Sensory (taste) and motor (movement), clinical relevance (e.g., tongue deviation)
Hyoid bone: Anatomy, attachments, clinical significance (e.g., fractures)
Glands of the head and neck: Salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, sublingual), thyroid gland, clinical relevance (e.g., sialadenitis, goiter)
Sinuses: Maxillary, frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid; anatomy, drainage, clinical implications (e.g., sinusitis)
Other Topics:
Cranial base: Foramina (e.g., foramen magnum, jugular foramen), structures passing through, clinical relevance
Brachial arches (embryology): Derivatives, clinical significance (e.g., developmental anomalies)
Basic heart anatomy: Chambers, valves, great vessels, clinical relevance (e.g., congenital heart defects)
OPG anatomy labeling: Identify key structures on an orthopantomogram (OPG)
Exam Images:
Pay attention to the exam images section, which often includes labeling exercises for cranial nerves, muscles, blood vessels, and sinuses. Familiarize yourself with radiographic anatomy (e.g., OPG, lateral cephalogram) and be able to identify normal anatomical variations and common pathologies.
LDS Exam Focus:
For LDS candidates, prioritize the “examiner fav topics” and “feedback recent exam topics” listed above. Ensure a strong understanding of trigeminal nerve, facial muscles, cranial nerves, muscle of mastication.
Files to read:- 1,2,3,5,6,8 – If you have read all these, solved mock MCQS and have time, read the other files.
Also try to watch below videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzLySYOBjRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLbqzTlZ6yA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PINT276t8I&t=462s
https://www.osmosis.org/learn/Introduction_to_the_cranial_nerves