Data on integrated curriculum vs traditional curriculum.

[PL198]

Wait so there are 3 year programs? I've never heard of a one year basic science school...

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[ChEMD]

Wait so there are 3 year programs? I've never heard of a one year basic science school...

Off the top of my head, Duke and Vanderbilt both have 1 year of preclinicals. However, they still spend a total of 4 years in medical school.

 

[PL198]

Off the top of my head, Duke and Vanderbilt both have 1 year of preclinicals. However, they still spend a total of 4 years in medical school.

Research year, or what is the extra year?

 

[ChEMD]

Research year, or what is the extra year?

I believe Duke does a mandatory research year. I'm not sure about Vandy, probably some combination of research, electives, global/public health project, etc...

This is just what I've been told from people that interviewed at these places. I'm sure more accurate info could be found on their school websites.

 

[DermViser]

Wait so there are 3 year programs? I've never heard of a one year basic science school...

Research year, or what is the extra year?

Duke is still 4 years, but their entire MS-3 year is a research year.
http://medschool.duke.edu/sites/medschool.duke.edu/files/documents/DukeCurriculumGraphic_9-13_0.pdf

Vanderbilt hasn't fully implemented it yet:
Class of 2014: https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/ume/curriculum-schematic-14-15 vs.
Class of 2017: https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/ume/curriculum-2-schematic

 

[Psai]

Wouldn't you forget everything by the time you're done with that year?

 

[ChEMD]

Wouldn't you forget everything by the time you're done with that year?

People take a year off to do research between MS3 and MS4 all the time, and they seem to do just fine. Although I'm sure they're a little rusty come time to complete their 4th year rotations.

 

[Anastomoses]

Baylor is 1.5 basic sciences.

 

[PL198]

I don't see how the students are ready clinically for their second year. Obviously if you're cutting it down to 1 year, the basic sciences are already going to be hard enough. If you made my class have to be able to do physical exams well, along with more studying for more basic sciences in 1 year, I'm pretty sure people's heads would explode. I don't see how they have time to do well on the basic sciences, while still emphasizing clinical things and thus producing a valid MS3 (or MS2 in their case) at the end of a year.

 

[DermViser]

Wouldn't you forget everything by the time you're done with that year?

Forget what? Many people take Step 1 after their required clerkships. Many of those places have great Step 1 averages. Just look at Baylor.

 

[PL198]

Forget what? Many people take Step 1 after their required clerkships. Many of those places have great Step 1 averages. Just look at Baylor.

Probably getting into some confounding there with superior student bodies though as well. Also if step 1 is as clinical as it's made out to be, couldn't the clerkships help with making that info actually stick and not just a binge and purge type deal?

 

[DermViser]

Probably getting into some confounding there with superior student bodies though as well. Also if step 1 is as clinical as it's made out to be, couldn't the clerkships help with making that info actually stick and not just a binge and purge type deal?

Step 1 is not entirely clinical yet (that's slowly changing). Many of the times it is a basic science concept dressed in clinical vignette window dressing. But yes, the theory behind taking Step 1 AFTER clerkships at certain medical schools (Baylor, UPenn, etc.) is that you are very comfortable with clinical vignettes and presentations to help you picture things, hence the higher Step 1 scores.

So before the test question would be like this:

and now it's like this:

 

[PL198]

I still don't get the clinical skills thing either. It's my understanding that as a 3rd year, you're pretty hands on and expected to have some basic skills( I understand relatively to little actually knowledge, but things like physicals exams, system specific exams, etc). I don't see how that's possible to learn in 1 year with 2 years of basic sciences cramped in as well.

 

[DermViser]

I still don't get the clinical skills thing either. It's my understanding that as a 3rd year, you're pretty hands on and expected to have some basic skills( I understand relatively to little actually knowledge, but things like physicals exams, system specific exams, etc). I don't see how that's possible to learn in 1 year with 2 years of basic sciences cramped in as well.

Their Physical Diagnosis course is probably split up by organ systems as well and taught along that 1 year. They probably remove all the redundancy of topics that occurs to be able to shave it down to a year.

 

[mvenus929]

My school has a fully integrated curriculum that has been in effect since two years ago. Our average Step 1 score dropped dramatically because a lot more people (compared to previous years) failed after the implementation of the new curriculum.

My class was the first class on our integrated curriculum.

The class of 2013 had an average Step 1 score of 233. Class of 2014 (my class) had an average score of 232. Class of 2015 had an average score of 233. We haven't gotten the results from 2016 yet.