Review: Anatomy on the go app for iOS
Anatomy on the Go is an app for iPhone and iPad released by Thieme Medical Publishers based on the flashcards, which have the same name. It features 367 illustrations from the popular THIEME Atlas of Anatomy showing the human anatomy from head to toe including the musculoskeletal system, internal organs, and neuroanatomy.
Pros | Efficient browsing, filter feature, labels, beautiful images, quizzes |
Cons | Insufficient pre-saved labels, flashcards appear randomly, difficult registration |
In this article, you'll find out the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of 'Anatomy on the Go', which will allow you to decide if this resource will suit your future anatomy needs.
Pros
Simple and convenient
It is very easy to browse through images. You can either view the cards by category or type in the name of the structure you are looking for in the index. All images have labels identifying the most important structures and it is even possible to create and name your own pinpoints. Some cards contain comments or examples of clinical applications, however, the texts are usually short.
Beautiful illustrations
The illustrations of AOG are quite colorful and aesthetically pleasing, and you can simply zoom in and out by using your fingers. In the end, after studying the images, you can switch from study to quiz mode and test yourself.
Cons
Lack of details
Even though the illustrations themselves are detailed, the pre-saved labels are incomplete in comparison to the original THIEME Atlas of Anatomy. It seems as if many structures were not marked for the sake of clarity. This way, however, the ambitious learner is forced to manually label all the necessary structures by himself in order to turn this app into a useful learning tool. Additionally, there are not enough images showing the various angles of the body, which is why the complementary use of a second atlas becomes inevitable for further understanding.
Discover the anatomy app alternative that makes learning faster, easier and more effective.
Random flashcards
The provided information in the flashcards does not follow a pattern but seems to be randomly chosen. It would have been much more helpful if the cards came along with structured information in forms of tables instead (e.g. origin and insertion of muscles or branches of arteries and nerves).
Confusing to register
Another point that has been also criticized by users is that one has to register and log on an Epocrates account (developer of Anatomy on the Go) in order to be able to use this app.
Conclusion
In a modern technology era, Thieme has published an app for learning anatomy. With a flick of a finger, one can browse through an entire atlas of the human body, study the most important structures and test himself or herself using the quiz mode feature. As we are used to seeing in the THIEME Atlas of Anatomy, the images are beautifully drawn and nice to look at. The idea of using your smartphone or tablet as a learning tool is quite tempting indeed.
Unfortunately, this app will not be, by far, sufficient enough for medical students to get prepared for anatomy exams, with regard to depth of information and understanding. The app can only help you go through a superficial understanding of the material and, thus, will not be worth the price of $30.
The next time you need to prepare for an anatomy exam, why not use Kenhub anatomy trainer? Learn with the numerous, colorful illustrations and review the structures of the human body the easy and efficient way. And if you are the type of person who prefers to learn anatomy using flashcards, here is a great tip: Pick the images you like the most from Kenhub free anatomy atlas, print them out and mark the most important structures. With these images, you can now create your own self-made flashcards.