Completely (or Primarily) PBL Schools?

[MedPR]

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Does anyone know of or currently attend an MD school that is mostly or completely PBL?

My girlfriend goes to a school that does some PBL but almost all systems and based on what I've seen of her curriculum, I think that would be the best bet for me.

I found this list on SDN, but it's from a 2006 thread.

CWRU

Cornell
Tufts
USC
Pitt
Mizzou
UCSF
Northwestern
UTMB
Emory
Harvard
Arizona
UCSD
Hawaii
Iowa
South Carolina
Indiana
Mercer
Kansas
Michigan

 

[SnowyRox]

Drexel offers a PBL track or a normal lecture-based learning track.

 

[weezynation]

I heard with Cornell this is a huge myth. I heard they have PBL but it isn't the vast majority of the curriculum. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on that one because I read this on SDN. With Tufts, however, I can tell u with 100% certainty that this is not even close to being true. They do PBL once per week in the first year. Second year there is no formal PBL, but they have a course called Intro to Clinival Reasoning which is somewhat like PBL. However, this is only like 10 times throughout the entire year. I called the person I know who attends Tufts for this info.

 

[gettheleadout]

I can't tell from the OP if you're asking for specifically systems-based PBL or not, but Case (CWRU, not CCLCM) is known for PBL.

 

[MedPR]

I can't tell from the OP if you're asking for specifically systems-based PBL or not, but Case (CWRU, not CCLCM) is known for PBL.

I'd really like to avoid any type of PBL.

 

[gettheleadout]

I'd really like to avoid any type of PBL.

Oh okay, I misinterpreted your OP, but in any case avoid Case.

 

[Thego2guy]

I heard with Cornell this is a huge myth. I heard they have PBL but it isn't the vast majority of the curriculum. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on that one because I read this on SDN. With Tufts, however, I can tell u with 100% certainty that this is not even close to being true. They do PBL once per week in the first year. Second year there is no formal PBL, but they have a course called Intro to Clinival Reasoning which is somewhat like PBL. However, this is only like 10 times throughout the entire year. I called the person I know who attends Tufts for this info.

From Cornell's website

What is PBL?
PBL is a teaching method in which students learn by actively seeking out information to solve problems. In contrast to lectures, in which information is delivered by the teacher to the student, PBL emphasizes active learning.

At Weill Cornell Medical College, groups of 10 students and one to two faculty members meet three times each week, usually on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for 90 minutes each session. At the Monday meeting, the group receives a new problem. The problem is usually, but not always, a clinical case. The group then begins to “brainstorm” about possible solutions to the issues at hand. By the end of the session, students have identified information that needs to be sought and have agreed who will work on what area. Between the adjournment of the PBL seminar on Monday and the next meeting on Wednesday, students actively seek out the information needed to solve the problem. Working singly or in pairs, they refer to original research, texts (in book and electronic formats), web sites of major scientific organizations, and other resources. At the Wednesday meeting, students exchange what they have learned, often making brief presentations and providing handouts. The class intranet site is used widely to disseminate information. This meeting identifies new issues to be resolved, and the group reconvenes on Friday to consolidate the learning.

So PBL meets three times a week, for less than two hours each time. I'm not a med student, but I am sure there are more days and more hours to med school than that. Hence, Cornell does have substantial lecture time. 👍

 

[Thego2guy]

I'd really like to avoid any type of PBL.

Btw, why do people don't like PBL? Schools seem to tout its efficiency and whatnot, but everyone I encounter on SDN absolutely hates it. Why?

 

[NickNaylor]

From Cornell's website



So PBL meets three times a week, for less than two hours each time. I'm not a med student, but I am sure there are more days and more hours to med school than that. Hence, Cornell does have substantial lecture time. 👍

Cornell is known for having very minimal class time. It would surprise me not at all if there was very little if any additional class time outside of those sessions. One of their selling points is that they're done by noon everyday.

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos and brevity)

 

[NickNaylor]

Btw, why do people don't like PBL? Schools seem to tout its efficiency and whatnot, but everyone I encounter on SDN absolutely hates it. Why?

PBL, if done well, can be good. The problem is that it depends entirely on your group members and facilitators. It's also a pretty terrible way to learn: unless you have significant guidance, trying to learn basic science material from a case sucks.

Here's a pre-med example of PBL: imagine trying to learn the mechanisms of an organic reaction when all you're given is the reactant(s) and product(s) with very little to no background in ochem. You go home, do Google searches to try and learn about this reaction, and come back and share what you learned in a small group setting.

IMO, PBL has it's uses, but being exposed to material for the first time in a PBL setting can br a very inefficient and frustrating way to learn.

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos and brevity)

 

[Hoya2009]

Avoid Hofstra.
I also don't get the pbl hate.