What this area covers
Pre-clinical medical science in Australian medical schools is assessed with written exams, often single best answer MCQs and short answers, plus practical or spot tests in anatomy. This page is for first and second year students and graduate-entry students who need the core science that clinical years build on.
High-yield topics
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Brachial plexus | Roots, trunks, cords, terminal branches; Erb and Klumpke palsies |
| Lower limb nerves | Femoral, obturator, sciatic, tibial, common fibular |
| Thorax | Mediastinum, heart surface anatomy, pleura and lungs |
| Abdomen | Peritoneum, foregut, midgut, hindgut and blood supply |
| Head and neck | Cranial nerves, triangles of the neck, larynx |
| Neuroanatomy | Spinal tracts, cerebral arteries, basal ganglia |
Worked example
Worked question · Limb
Which nerve supplies the deltoid muscle?
- A Axillary nerve
- B Radial nerve in the spiral groove
- C Musculocutaneous nerve
- D Suprascapular nerve
- E Long thoracic nerve
Show the reasoning
Answer A. The axillary nerve (C5, C6) supplies deltoid and teres minor and the skin over the lower deltoid.
A short study plan
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Upper and lower limb |
| 2 | Thorax and abdomen |
| 3 | Head, neck and neuroanatomy |
Do a short timed set most days and review every explanation, including the options you ruled out.
Common traps
- Learning names without function.
- Ignoring blood supply.
- Not practising spot tests on images.
Free sample anatomy questions
Questions from our Basic Science bank. Choose your answer, then open the explanation.
After a fall onto the shoulder, a patient cannot abduct the arm beyond 15 degrees and has numbness over the lateral upper arm. Which nerve is injured?
- ASuprascapular nerve
- BMusculocutaneous nerve
- CAxillary nerve
- DRadial nerve in the spiral groove
- ELong thoracic nerve
Show answer and explanation
Answer C. The axillary nerve (C5, C6) supplies deltoid and teres minor and the skin over the lower deltoid ("regimental badge" area). It is injured in shoulder dislocation and surgical neck of humerus fractures. Supraspinatus initiates the first 15 degrees of abduction.
Learning point: Axillary nerve: deltoid and regimental badge area; injured with shoulder dislocation.
A patient with a mid-shaft humeral fracture cannot extend the wrist. Which nerve is affected?
- ARadial nerve
- BMusculocutaneous nerve
- CMedian nerve
- DAxillary nerve
- EUlnar nerve
Show answer and explanation
Answer A. The radial nerve runs in the spiral (radial) groove of the humerus and supplies the wrist and finger extensors. Mid-shaft fractures can injure it, causing wrist drop and sensory loss over the dorsal first web space.
Learning point: Mid-shaft humerus fracture: radial nerve, wrist drop.
Which structure passes through the carpal tunnel?
- AUlnar nerve
- BPalmaris longus tendon
- CRadial artery
- DMedian nerve
- EUlnar artery
Show answer and explanation
Answer D. The carpal tunnel contains the median nerve and nine flexor tendons (four FDS, four FDP, FPL). The ulnar nerve and artery pass through Guyon's canal; palmaris longus lies superficial to the flexor retinaculum.
Learning point: Carpal tunnel: median nerve plus nine flexor tendons.
Practise more anatomy questions free
Every anatomy subtopic in our bank
The bank holds 15 anatomy questions across 15 subtopics. You can filter by any of them, build a custom block and track your accuracy subtopic by subtopic.
- Blood supply of the femoral head1
- Brachial plexus1
- Carpal tunnel contents1
- Circle of Willis1
- Common peroneal nerve1
- Coronary artery supply1
- Cranial nerve III palsy1
- Femoral triangle1
- Inguinal canal1
- Portal-systemic anastomoses1
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve1
- Rotator cuff1
- Spinal cord tracts1
- Ureter relations1
- Wrist drop1
Common questions
How do I study for anatomy spot tests?
Practise identifying structures on specimens, models and imaging, and say the function aloud.
Which anatomy matters most clinically?
Nerve injuries, blood supply and surface landmarks for procedures.
Sources
Clinical content is summarised from current Australian guidance at the date above. Guidelines change, so always check the latest edition.
- Australian Medical Council: Graduate outcome statements
- Standard medical science texts