Summer Anatomy
Associate Professor and Course Coordinator
Phone: 315 464-8577
Email: stearnss@upstate.edu
This is a great option for students who have been out of school for a while or who just want to lighten their course load in the Fall. The smaller class size allows for more individualized instruction. Students who successfully complete Summer Anatomy are exempt from the class in the Fall, allowing more time to focus on other course work or pursue other options such as research or an elective.
The eight-week course runs 9 am to 3 pm weekdays, and includes lectures and lab time. Online materials can be found on the Gross Anatomy page under Courses in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology.
Students say...
"If I had to list the 10 best things about Summer Anatomy, the faculty would come out at the top. Both professors were very approachable and they made themselves available for longer office hours in the days before the exams. In addition, the lectures
were fascinating.
"Taking the course in the summer affords you the chance to take an elective—as many of us did... Some people wondered why I'd want to start med school in my last free summer, but taking the course didn't shortchange my summer. I did have some real vacation time. Anatomy didn't start until three weeks after I graduated from college and I took a trip after the course ended. It was also nice to make some good friends in my class before the fall semester started."
—Dan Dickinson, MD
Students Signa Perkins and Jason Bariteau received intensive instruction from Dr. Susan Stearns during the Summer Anatomy class. The advantages: the class is one-sixth the size as in the fall and participants get a personalized learning environment.
With Anatomy taken in the summer, both Signa and Jason chose electives which gave them contact with patients and doctors during the fall.