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7-Day Anatomy Exam Schedule

2 Hours/Day | 20 Topics | Exam-Ready by Sunday

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Grouping Logic

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Day-by-Day Schedule

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DAY 1 - Monday, June 29

Tip: Draw the brachial plexus from scratch at least 3 times before bed. It's the hardest topic - give it maximum mental energy.

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DAY 2 - Tuesday, June 30

Tip: Make a comparison table: median vs radial vs ulnar - origin, course, muscles, injury, clinical sign. This is a favourite exam format.

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DAY 3 - Wednesday, July 1

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DAY 4 - Thursday, July 2

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DAY 5 - Friday, July 3

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DAY 6 - Saturday, July 4

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DAY 7 - Sunday, July 5

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Key Mnemonics Summary

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General Tips

• Draw, don't just read. For brachial plexus, facial nerve, and cavernous sinus - sketching the diagram burns it into memory far faster than re-reading.
• Clinical correlations = exam marks. Examiners love asking about RLN and thyroidectomy, axillary nerve and shoulder dislocation, cavernous sinus thrombosis, and facial nerve palsy. Know the clinical angle for each topic.
• Active recall over passive reading. After each session, close the book and write down everything you remember. Then check.
• Prioritise Day 1 and Day 7. Brachial plexus is the most complex topic and facial nerve is the most commonly examined cranial nerve - these deserve your sharpest focus.
• Group study on Day 7 if possible. Teaching a classmate the facial nerve or brachial plexus in the last 30 minutes is one of the best retention strategies.

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Brachial Plexus Branches - Complete Mnemonics

First, the Structure (RTDCB)

"Robert Taylor Drinks Cold Beer" Roots → Trunks → Divisions → Cords → Branches

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ROOTS Level Branches

"My Aunt Keeps Selling Drugs" - just remember 2 branches at root level: Dorsal Scapular + Long Thoracic Or simply: "Don't Lose" (Dorsal scapular, Long thoracic)

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TRUNK Level Branches

"Upper trunk gives 2 S's" → Subclavius + Suprascapular

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CORDS Level Branches

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LATERAL CORD → "My Lateral Cord Makes People Move"

Short form: "Lateral Cord = LMM" (Lateral pectoral, Musculocutaneous, Median contribution)

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MEDIAL CORD → "My Medial Cord Makes Many More Nerves"

"Men Prefer Making Unusual Moves" Medial pectoral, Medial cutaneous arm, Medial cutaneous forearm, Ulnar, Median (medial root)

Or think: Medial cord = 5 branches, all start with M except Ulnar

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POSTERIOR CORD → "ULTRA" ✅ (the most testable one)

"ULTRA" - Posterior cord gives 5 branches, remember ULTRA

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THE TERMINAL BRANCHES (5 major nerves)

"My Aunt Reads Uncle's Magazines"

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Full Picture on One Page

ROOTS (C5-T1)
  ├── Dorsal Scapular (C5)          } "Don't Lose"
  └── Long Thoracic (C5,6,7)       }

TRUNKS (Upper only)
  ├── Nerve to Subclavius           } "Two S's from
  └── Suprascapular nerve           }  Upper trunk"

CORDS
  ├── LATERAL  → LMM
  │     Lateral pectoral
  │     Musculocutaneous
  │     Median (lateral root)
  │
  ├── MEDIAL   → "Men Prefer Making Unusual Moves"
  │     Medial pectoral
  │     Med. cut. nerve of arm
  │     Med. cut. nerve of forearm
  │     Ulnar
  │     Median (medial root)
  │
  └── POSTERIOR → ULTRA
        Upper subscapular
        Thoracodorsal
        Lower subscapular
        Radial
        Axillary

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Quick Exam Hack

• Lateral = 3
• Medial = 5
• Posterior = 5

Remember: "3 - 5 - 5" or "Lateral is the smallest cord"

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Divisions of the Brachial Plexus

What Are Divisions?

They sit behind the clavicle (retroclavicular / infraclavicular region)

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The 6 Divisions

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How Divisions Form the Cords

ANTERIOR divisions:
  Upper + Middle  ──────────────────→  LATERAL CORD
  Lower  ───────────────────────────→  MEDIAL CORD

POSTERIOR divisions:
  Upper + Middle + Lower ───────────→  POSTERIOR CORD

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The Functional Logic (Why It Makes Sense)

Anterior divisions → supply flexor compartments (front of limb) Posterior divisions → supply extensor compartments (back of limb)

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Memory Trick

"All Posterior divisions go Posterior - no exceptions" "Anterior divisions SPLIT - upper+middle go Lateral, lower goes Medial"

        Upper trunk ──── Ant ──┐
                               ├──→ LATERAL CORD
        Middle trunk ─── Ant ──┘

        Lower trunk ──── Ant ──────→ MEDIAL CORD

        Upper trunk ──── Post ─┐
                                ├──→ POSTERIOR CORD
        Middle trunk ─── Post ─┤
                                │
        Lower trunk ──── Post ─┘

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Important Exam Points

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One-Line Summary for Quick Revision

"3 trunks → 6 divisions (each trunk splits into ant + post) → 3 cords (ant upper+mid = lateral, ant lower = medial, all post = posterior)"

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How to Draw It Fast in Exam (Step-by-Step)

• C5 + C6 → Upper trunk
• C7 → Middle trunk
• C8 + T1 → Lower trunk

• A of Upper + A of Middle → Lateral cord
• A of Lower → Medial cord
• P of ALL three → Posterior cord

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What to Label for Maximum Marks

Pro tip: Draw the median nerve as an "M" or "V" shape where the lateral and medial roots unite - examiners specifically look for this and it shows you understand the anatomy.

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Median vs Radial vs Ulnar - Complete Comparison

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The Three Deformities Explained

🤚 Ape Hand (Median nerve)

• Thenar eminence wastes away (flat palm)
• Thumb falls into same plane as fingers (lost opposition)
• Called "ape" because apes cannot oppose their thumb
• Test: ask patient to touch thumb to little finger - cannot do it

🤚 Wrist Drop (Radial nerve)

• Wrist hangs flexed due to loss of all wrist extensors
• Cannot extend wrist, MCP joints, or thumb
• Brachioradialis also lost (elbow flexion weakened in midpronation)
• Test: ask patient to extend wrist against resistance - cannot do it

🤚 Claw Hand (Ulnar nerve)

• Ring and little fingers are clawed (hyperextended at MCP, flexed at IP joints)
• Index and middle fingers are not clawed because their lumbricals are intact (supplied by median nerve)
• This is called the "ulnar paradox" - a lesion at the wrist produces a worse claw than a lesion at the elbow
• Test: Froment's sign - ask patient to grip a paper between thumb and index finger - patient flexes thumb IP joint (uses FPL from median nerve to compensate)

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Ulnar Paradox - Exam Favourite

High ulnar nerve lesion (elbow): FDP to ring/little fingers is also paralyzed, so fingers can't flex at IP joints - less clawing Low ulnar nerve lesion (wrist): FDP intact, so fingers CAN flex at IP joints - more clawing The higher the lesion, the less the claw = ulnar paradox

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Quick 3-Word Memory

"Monkey Apes, Radios Drop, Ulcers Claw" - Median=Ape, Radial=Drop, Ulnar=Claw

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Radial Nerve - Complete Branch Breakdown

Origin

• Posterior cord of brachial plexus
• Spinal levels: C5, C6, C7, C8, T1

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Branches in the AXILLA

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Branches in the SPIRAL GROOVE (arm)

The spiral groove is where the radial nerve winds around the posterior surface of the humerus between the lateral and medial heads of triceps. A midshaft humeral fracture injures it here.

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Branches at LATERAL EPICONDYLE / Cubital Fossa

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BIFURCATION - The Key Point

Radial Nerve
     │
     ├──→ SUPERFICIAL BRANCH (purely SENSORY)
     │         └── Dorsum of lateral 3½ fingers
     │             (not the tips - tips by median nerve)
     │
     └──→ DEEP BRANCH = POSTERIOR INTEROSSEOUS NERVE (purely MOTOR)
               └── Winds through supinator muscle
                   then supplies all remaining extensors

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POSTERIOR INTEROSSEOUS NERVE (PIN) Branches

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3 Injury Levels - Exam Favourite

Key exam MCQ: In spiral groove injury - triceps is spared because its branches arise proximal to the spiral groove. Elbow extension is intact.

PIN injury exam trap: No sensory loss (PIN is purely motor) + wrist drops to ulnar side (ECU lost, ECRL intact pulls wrist to radial side during extension attempt)

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One-Line Summary

"Radial nerve = posterior cord → axilla → spiral groove → lateral epicondyle → splits into superficial (sensory) + deep/PIN (motor extensors)"