Human Anatomy at Colby

Going in A and P sounded pretty intimidating, learning a semester of complex biological structures and processes, it seemed daunting to say the least. When I walked in the first day I really didn’t know what to expect, but I was bracing myself to get crushed by a tsunami of information. Immediately, Dr. K put our minds at ease by emphasizing that first and foremost, our mental health is what mattered most, and that the ultimate goal of the class would be to hone our studying skills so that we were able to retain information, but more importantly keeping our stress levels low. I can say at first, it was not an easy task, but by the end of the semester I can say without that I have found some very effective ways to do just that. Another fascinating part of the class, was the lifestyle log. It allowed one to log their hours of sleep, exercise, etc. and reflect on how their stress levels were effected based on these factors. Another way Dr. K was tremendously helpful was out of class answering the endless questions I had about the various anatomical features of the lab models and how they corresponded to the diagrams he had shown us in class. Also, starting off every lecture with the history of the study of the organ system we were studying that day was always fascinating. To see how various cultures and civilizations tackled the complex task of understanding the human body with much more limited resources than we have today was also amazing to see. Finally, the haikus to start every lecture were always amusing and brought a smile to my face.

Looking into the future, I am hoping to retain some of the information as I continue on my pre-med journey, but regardless I am beyond grateful for how this class affirmed my interest in medicine and the human body, and made me crave to dive deeper into every single topic we covered. Dr. K’s seemingly endless pool of knowledge even about the most minutiae details of various organ systems is awe inspiring and shows me just how information is out there to learn and the grand rounds showed me the countless ways this information can be applied in a clinical setting to help people. However, one thing I know I will retain is the joyful feeling I got on the days where I managed to be productive academically, athletically, and get a good nights sleep. I see how it makes me feel the following days, and thanks to the opportunity this month I have been able to begin some habits for my success in this coming spring and beyond. Thank you Dr. K for a challenging, but so so much more rewarding Jan Plan.

I was not sure what to expect coming into this Janplan. I have always been a scientifically minded person and the opportunity to learn more about the human body and how it worked is what made me choose the class on name alone. There was a bit of doubt seeping into my mind when I first looked at the syllabus as to if I had made the right decision. The sheer amount of material that we would be going into made me question if I would be able to keep up or retain all of the information that was going to be thrown at me for the next month. Within the first thirty minutes of class, these worries went away. The overall environment of Olin 01 was presented right off the bat as a place to try new methods of learning without the fear of failing weighing me down. For the first time, a class was about maximizing efficiency and minimizing stress instead of cramming for a passing grade. I didn’t know this was what I needed to reset the bad study habits that had been collecting since my freshman year of highschool, but I have learned (and genuinely retained) more information in the past month than I have in any class in my Colby experience. Don’t get me wrong, this class was a lot of work, but it never felt like a chore to review my notes or stay in the lab late Sunday night in preparation for a practical exam. A lot of that is due to how interesting the subject matter was. I want to work closely with the human body in my future career so everything I learned seemed useful to know instead of mandatory for a good grade. The way information was presented made me fascinated to learn more. Learning about the human heart by getting to dig into one in front of me made it fun, but more importantly, memorable in a useful way. The history aspect of this information stood out to me, like the Flemish  guy who collected piss in his basement to discover white phosphorus or the barely capable civil war doctor who accidentally created a hole to uncover the secrets of the stomach. The ways of remembering parts of the body by decoding their greek origin and making sense of the name (ie. the gracilis being the part of the leg that a graceful dancer uses) made these things I had never heard of before make sense. It was fun to listen to the mechanisms of how each body system works because it felt like I was genuinely getting the information and piecing together complex relationships that seemed so daunting a task to understand. I’m not saying that I will remember everything that I heard, but for the amount covered I retained far more than I thought I would. I would credit this to the stress free atmosphere in the class, as I wasn’t worried about not learning something but excited to learn as much as I could. From this class, I am taking with me a slew of knowledge about anatomy and physiology but more importantly an ability to learn in a way that doesn’t make me feel overwhelmed. 

The 4-week January course Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology taught by Dr. K was fast-paced and academically rigorous. Despite this, the daily information was presented in an understandable and easily digestible way by Dr. K to ease initial stress. Whether it was late nights in the lab before a practical exam or during one of the many quizzes, Dr. K was always accessible and rooting for everyone in the class with a comforting smile.

The first day of class felt overwhelming as we went through the syllabus for both lecture and lab, and I imagined how many terms and accompanying functions I would have to learn in such a short amount of time. However, once I learned how to best prepare myself for the quizzes and lab practicals, I felt much more confident in my abilities. I found that studying with a partner who was also in the class was the best way for me to learn, as we could quiz each other and both explain general concepts to the other.

Something that Dr. K emphasized throughout the duration of this course was to prioritize your mental and physical well-being above all else. He said something on the first day that really resonated with me that was along the lines of “create a routine that you enjoy, such as working out in the morning or reading before bed, and never let anyone change it or take it away from you.” This stuck with me because I think it is so important to always make time for yourself in your day to do something for you, that you enjoy and that fills your cup, because you should never be pouring from an empty cup. For me, these things include reading, writing, going outside, spending time with family/friends, being with animals, working out, and having self care nights. This is especially pertinent if you are someone going into a medical profession or health field, as Dr. K also mentioned.

A specific class activity that I enjoyed in particular was when we had the option to use a heart rate monitor to track our heart rate variability, and our heart rate after some deep breathing yoga exercises (Ujjayi breathing). I thoroughly appreciate meditative practices and practice yoga myself so having this allotted time designated solely to focusing on the breath and slowing my heart rate was very peaceful and fulfilling. I also enjoyed it when we learned how to take a partner’s blood pressure in the lab using a handheld sphygmomanometer, as well as the open pig heart dissection (photo shown below). There was a lot of freedom during these labs, as well as hands-on learning which helps me personally retain information so much more than just writing it down.

I will definitely take the lessons I learned in this class, not only the anatomy and physiology aspects but also the life teaching moments from Dr. K, with me as I move forward in my academic, personal, and professional life. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to learn so much in this class, and be taught by such a caring, interactive, down to earth person. 

Bri Michaud-Nolan

I signed up for this class knowing that it would be a lot of material to learn in a short period of time. But I was still shocked after the first week of class by just how much we had to learn and the fact that we had already taken our first lab practical. Since this is my first time taking an anatomy class, I was excited to learn about the human body and was fascinated by just how in depth we went as a class, in terms of learning the anatomical structures in the human body.

I appreciated how this class’ purpose was not only to learn about the human body but to also discover how to maintain a healthy study schedule while in a rigorous course. Because of this, I was able to experience what it is like to study for the sake of learning, rather than to get a good grade. During this time, I learned that I work best when studying in a public space, such as Miller library, and studying in 25 minute increments with 5 minute breaks in between to destress. I felt comfortable trying different studying habits and learning to set aside time for relaxation and self care. I would often knit and watch netflix shows to destress and hang out with friends on the weekends. I learned that just spending all your time trying to cram your head with information isn’t effective and you need to take small breaks in between. 

During Janplan, I realized that I had developed a habit of trying to study up until bedtime. I had been struggling with insomnia for quite some time and I realized that I should try taking better care of myself by developing healthy sleep habits. This is something I’m still working on but I’ve tried to implement new habits such as stopping electronic usage 30 minutes before bed and following a relaxing bedtime routine.

I really liked the pig heart dissection (though it was very smelly), and seeing all the different vessels and parts of the heart helped me to memorize the anatomy of the heart and flow of blood. Dr. K was very accommodating throughout the course and frequently offered to provide us with additional help if needed. I really appreciated his emphasis on our mental health throughout the course and focusing on developing sustainable, healthy studying habits, as mentioned earlier. 

This class really has flown by and I can’t believe it’s the end of Janplan already. As mentioned earlier, I not only learned a lot about the Human Body but also learned about what works best for me in terms of studying. This is really helpful for me because I will be graduating in the spring and I hope that I will continue to use the skills I learnt throughout this course at graduate school.

-Sarah Kim

When I decided to take BI265 Anatomy and Physiology for my sophomore year Jan plan class I knew that it was going to come with a certain degree of difficulty. Just from the name, the class sounds work-intensive and serious. Even though I knew I wasn’t signing up for the typical ‘easy’ or ‘quirky’ Jan Plan class, I did not truly know the amount of work and effort I was about to put into a course over the next three and a half weeks. Despite the large amount of hours spent rewriting notes for lecture quizzes, in the lab preparing for a lab exam or with my partner preparing for our Grand Rounds Presentation, during this course I learned a lot of valuable lessons about myself as a student, and even as a person overall. 

First, I think that this class taught me a valuable lesson in the importance of studying broken-up and often, rather than late and all at once. Due to my class and lacrosse schedule I typically had two study sessions every day to prepare for the next day’s lecture quiz. One, right after lunch for 2-2.5 hours and one after dinner for 1-2 hours. I was able to get more intense studying done right after the lecture, which allowed my brain to start cementing the knowledge. Breaking up my studying into two study sessions really allowed the information to sink in and made the whole lecture feel much more manageable. On the rare occasion I did not have time for the second nightly session I would also wake up before class to get my final hour of studying in. Overall, this type of study plan and repeated sessions demonstrated to myself the importance of studying more often rather than cramming. I’ve never been the type of student to cram but this January really displayed to me how good time management can lead to better learning as well as more overall school-life balance. 

The next thing that this class taught me was the value of a good study partner in a difficult and work-intensive course. Throughout the semester I had a great study partner who spent many hours in the lab with me. Our study method allowed us to better prepare for the lab tests as we were able to quiz each other in a way that was more representative of what we were going to be asked to do for the lab tests. Further, after we had both individually studied for the quizzes, we used each other to perform active recall of the information in verbal quizzes. This type of learning really helped me to stay engaged and stay accountable during my semester in A&P. 

Finally, I learned that when I am interested in a topic, learning mass amounts of information really isn’t so hard. Even though this class took countless hours and required a high level of engagement and effort every single day, the whole experience did not ‘burn me out’ or discourage me because I enjoyed the content and topics. I learned the value of engagement and interest if you are going to commit to something that is difficult. Overall, I am very glad that I took BI265 this semester as it taught me many valuable lessons that I will take with me through my next 5 semesters at Colby, into my Graduate school, and finally into my life as a Medical Professional. 

• Julia Jardina

The first week of A and P was a little bit of a shock when it came to work load, however the words of Dr. Klepach about the importance of self care and stress management resonated with me. Also I wasn’t scared of the workload because my last jan plan was the 8 am to 4 pm emt jan plan that was monday through friday so I wasn’t used to the normal jan plan experience like the other students. The class is full of mostly pre med students who are driven into a mode of stress and grade fixation in order to get into med school. This makes it hard for these students to truly listen to Dr. K when he tells you that it isn’t the grade that matters in this class, and rather it is about learning how to manage all the information that he is throwing at you in a healthy way that is sustainable. In this way I believe that this class is truly one of the best classes for pre med students in that you are not only learning an immense amount of information that will prove useful later on in your career but you are more importantly given the opportunity to practice healthy life skills and habits that prioritize your mental and physical health without the stress of getting 100 percent on every assignment. The life skills that this class as well as the resource of Dr. K himself provides is arguably more important than all the anatomy and crazy historical stories that contextualize the a and p through the semester. The workload is intense however it is manageable. I suggest using the resources of the lab and the models it has to study along with other classmates in order to study for the lab practicals in a way that is not only more fun but also more effective. 

Over this jan plan, I feel like I have definitely grown as a student in becoming more efficient with my studying in order to free myself to do more stuff that I enjoy. Prioritizing giving myself time for me to clear my head and get some exercise has not only helped with physical health but I think helped my mental health as well. This combined with my management of stress as well as sleep prioritization I think has helped me and can be seen in my growth academically at managing the material. I am very appreciative for the way Dr. K runs this class and I think it is a refreshing change of pace that can honestly benefit any student.

– Elliot Hammerness

I signed up for the Anatomy and Physiology Janplan course to fulfill my final lab credit for the biology major. In all honesty though, it provided me with so much more. I had never taken an anatomy class before, even back in high school, so I was very excited to learn more about the human body and its complex yet advanced nature. While I am a biology major, I think I was one of the only, if not, the only student in the class who is not on the pre-med track or pursuing a career related to biology. Because of this, I was a little intimidated by the course initially, especially upon looking at the syllabus the night before the first day of class. Dr. Klepach also mentioned on the first day of class that this course is good preparation for medical school, something that did not cross my mind since I am going into the computer science field. Having friends drop the class in the first week also made the course seem a little more stressful than I thought it would be. In the first few days I felt a little discouraged about what was ahead, and whether or not I’d be able to enjoy my last January on campus. I even had a couple students ask me why I took this course if it is not a post-grad requirement for me, but I am so glad that I did. This course exceeded my expectations and ended up being very manageable and enjoyable too. 

Since A&P was the only class I had to worry about, instead of normally having assignments for three other courses, the workload was not too overwhelming. I also do not ski, so I had the time to study for lab practicals and review the material that others may have had to sacrifice. After the first week flew by, I knew that the course was not going to be as intimidating as I previously thought. Once I had a few of the quizzes under my belt, I started to get the hang of the questions and my stress levels decreased. I will admit though, the pig dissection did scare me a little. I had never done a dissection like the one we did in class before, especially a pig heart. I was nervous that it was going to freak me out, but it was actually extremely interesting and helpful in understanding the anatomy of the heart. Cutting open the right ventricle and finding the moderator band was the highlight of that experience. 

I also really liked how Dr. Klepach had us complete a daily lifestyle log, because it made me more aware about living a healthier lifestyle when I was writing down my meals and the hours of sleep and exercise I was completing everyday. I thought that going into the course with not much knowledge of anatomy would make a lot of the material feel difficult and complex, but as the course progressed, I realized that I knew more than I thought I did. I recognized a lot of the processes we discussed not only from other courses, but also because many occur daily in my own body. I learned a lot about the physical parts of the body and their names, but I learned more about how they all work together successfully so that I can live the way I do. More importantly though, I learned about things I can do to improve their function and improve myself in general which I believe was the most beneficial part of the course.

Lexi Hammer

When I decided to take the Anatomy and Physiology class, I was thinking about learning more about the human body. I plan to pursue a career as a neuroscience researcher, but I believed an overall, more comprehensive, knowledge of the body would come in handy. The thing I was not expecting was that the body I learned the most about was mine.

During our first week, we talked about bones and muscles. We talked about the piezoelectricity effect, in which applying force to the bone allows twisted fibers of collagen to open, presenting their charges, that attract osteoblasts, increasing bone density. My bones are here to protect and support me. If I don’t apply some force on them, they will become weak, bringing me issues in the future. We also talked about some muscles that we don’t usually think about when stretching or doing strength training, but that can help us in supporting our body, and doing different tasks. We even discussed some yoga poses that could help in stretching and strengthening those muscles, and the benefits that this could bring, such as less back pain. In summary, not exercising prejudices the balance of my body. And that is not even mentioning all the other benefits, such as the release of positive hormones.

In the cardiovascular unity, we explored the concept of heart rate variation (HRV). The higher your HRV, the more benefits you have, such as resistance to stress and a positive emotional base. While scrolling through your phone, your HRV is usually low; but you can increase it with a few minutes of mindful respiration. Once again, a simple change in my habits could bring positive impacts down the line.

We also learned about the risks of a high-fat diet. When there is excess fat in the liver, for example, our white blood cells can start absorbing the fat, creating plaques that can occlude our coronary artery, causing infarcts. This is also true about the high ingestion of sugar, which can make our brain resistant to insulin, and later, to leptin. The resistance would make us feel hungry all the time, which could lead to metabolic syndrome, which can lead to heart disease, atherosclerosis, and even cancer. These lectures helped me to understand the importance of a healthy and balanced diet.

Besides learning about all these features and necessities of my body, I had the chance personally experience the class content. Looking at the personal health log, I realized that, besides the evident lack of sleep and exercise, all of my meals looked the same (and highly dependent on sugar). Even though water intake and motivation levels were not in the chart, I noticed that my motivation levels were getting lower, and I was not drinking enough water. After a few weeks of procrastination, I decided to put myself back on track. I slept earlier one day, to wake up and go for a run before class the next day. It is insane how my motivation was already improved in the day itself. The sleep and exercise also motivated me to eat better and drink more water, which in turn kept me determined to do exercise. The motivation also allowed me to accomplish my tasks faster, enabling me to sleep longer: it was a great cycle to get into.

I believe this class reminded me of how the body is such a perfect balance, in which so many things could go wrong. My major takeaway from this month is to value my body more, be more grateful for it, but also to take better care of it.

Reading the syllabus the day before the first class, I was pretty intimidated by the workload and how much material we were covering in less than a month. On the first morning, Professor Klepach told us that it is more important to prioritize our health and wellbeing over academic success, before even introducing yourself. Finishing up my last year at Colby, I have never had a professor do that and was both surprised and thankful at his approach to teaching and our learning. I also appreciate his eagerness to help us learn how to study better and absorb information, since this is perhaps the most useful thing I learned all month. At first, I started off trying to memorize every detail from the lecture, but slowly learned that understanding big-picture concepts and quizzing myself on the material was a much more effective method. 

As an athlete, I am always drawn to science material that relates to kinesiology, so I particularly liked the muscle lecture. Specifically, I loved learning about tension production and the length-tension relationship. When discussing resting muscle length and how its optimization can increase power output, Professor Klepach even gave specific examples of exercises that lengthen muscles without adding muscle mass. I also enjoyed learning about muscle fiber composition, and how it varies based on your activity level. It’s crazy how many more slow type muscle fibers endurance athletes have than the average person; I have always heard about “fast twitch muscle fibers” and was surprised about this graph. 

My favorite lab activity was definitely the heart dissection. I think constantly seeing cartoons and animations of body structures, it’s easy to forget what these structures actually look like in real life beings. Getting the freedom to explore the heart on our own and identify parts that we had only seen in graphics was a pretty cool experience that I am thankful to have had this Jan plan. Also, holding an organ in your hands made me appreciate all of the cool physiology that it can perform. It reminds me how complex of a level our bodies can operate at – without our conscience even knowing. I took a picture which I will attach below! 

I also enjoyed the blood pressure and MAP activity. I don’t have much clinical experience, but getting to take someone else’s blood pressure after having it performed on me by nurses countless times was much more difficult than I thought. They make it look so easy! As an aspiring doctor, I’ll admit I have overlooked the crucial role of nurses (especially before COVID hit). It makes me appreciate them that much more and all they do for the entire medical team. I know the point of the experiment was probably less significant, but it really forced me to reflect on people I hope to be working with everyday, and for that I am grateful. 

Overall, this class was a lot of work, but it was the closest I have felt to medical school and so I never felt unmotivated to do it. I am impressed by Professor Klepach’s ability to cover so much in such a short time, and thank him for never making us feel overwhelmed or stressed about how much we were learning. I feel well versed in anatomy and physiology, but also well versed in how to absorb and retain large amounts of material, which is a crucial skill I can’t wait to hopefully apply one day in med school. 

Elizabeth Hennessey