What are the benefits of an organ-based curriculum?

[DoctorWannaBe]

I'm trying to answer one of Northwestern's secondary questions and was wondering what people's opinions are on organ-based curriculum? One benefit seems to be that you can integrate all the basic sciences to see how the whole organ system works. On the other hand, is there a disadvantage because you don't learn how organ systems work with each other? Any other ideas are greatly appreciated!

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[TTSD]

Man.. don't ask us questions about your seconday

 

[Md 2b In TN]

I believe the advantage to an Organ/Systems Based Cir. is that you do see the big picture and how they work together. Not to say that the old approach was any less capable, I feel that with the new approach, you don't have to go back at the end of the term and review material on how it relates to a new organ your studying, but that just my $0.02

 

[PianoGirl04]

I think it's more relevant than learning each subject separately is for clinical work. It also gives you a better mental framework for understanding and remembering the material.

 

[Spacekat]

I think the main idea here is that they are trying to taylor teaching to the way that the human mind actually learns things - sort of a novel concept, huh?

Some smart person realized that the way we LEARN things (versus just memorizing them) is by attaching them to existing knowledge. This relates to schemas and all that Piaget-type stuff you might recall from freshman psychology.

If you don't want to get that fancy in your answer, you can just approach it from a common-sense point of view. As one person somewhere on SDN described it, "it makes sense that it's easier to learn this way than by studying the brain in one course while you're studying the ass in another" (paraphrased).

 

[PianoGirl04]

Originally posted by Spacekat
Some smart person realized that the way we LEARN things (versus just memorizing them) is by attaching them to existing knowledge. This relates to schemas and all that Piaget-type stuff you might recall from freshman psychology.

Yup...that's what I meant when I mentioned a framework for understanding. Schemata are our friends.