Thanks mvenus929! It sounds like the "renewal" is mostly like on hardware then since some professors have already been moving towards more integrated curriculum. Do you know if there is going to be a major change aside from the 3-day Cell to Society class(workshop?) for the next class? i don't mean to say that more change is better, but I am just trying to pinpoint what aspect of UVa that really distinguishes itself aside from the amazing facilities you are going to have. How about the current students, any thought?
I'm going to try to answer this as best I can, but forgive me if I misinterpret you.
Last year, the classroom-based learning was mostly lecture. They would sit in a lecture for 50 minutes, get a 10 minute break, and do it again, and again, and again. Four hours total per day, with clinical activities and whatnot in the afternoon. I sat in on one of the second-year classes when I interviewed, and it was just like college lectures.
Starting with our class, it's more 'we're going to give you a problem at the start of class, let you work on it, then pull it all back together' type of teaching. You're not being talked at, but rather working together to get the answer. The reason I said it's not a complete change was based on what they told us for second-look weekend... they said that a lot of the faculty had been focusing more on switching to case-based studies, rather than straight lecture. Anatomy seems to be the most integrated, but we won't start that until January. I imagine a good reason they told us this was to reassure us that we weren't going to be total guinea pigs. It also will focus much more on technology, and every student will be required to bring a laptop to class with them.
The way they're going to be doing exams, though, will be more in line with what they're doing with the USMLE... much more case-based. So, in theory, teaching in this style will improve the Step 1 scores to be more in line with what the Step 2 scores are.
It'll be interesting to see how it all works out. I imagine that after we finish going through each block, they'll get our feedback and work out the bugs so that it's better for the class of 2015.
As for the Cells to Society class... it's my understanding that they've been doing it for several years now as a part of orientation week, and it's continuing with us. We have pure orientation activities on Mon and Tues, and Wed, Thur, And Fri are Cells to Society. I guess there's another course in like January or something as well.
but how often does somehting like that happen? i was leaning towards something more general that a doctor faces often, but now i might rethink it...
People refuse treatment that's good for them (or, at least, necessary for life) all the time, the Jehovah's witness was just one example. But that's just what I chose... you write about whatever you think will be the biggest challenge you will face personally, whether it be something to do with the profession itself, or your family life, or whatever.
with your application!
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for some good news!
