bbgirl said:
I know that this topic has been discussed a little, but I'm having a little trouble deciding which would be best for me. Can someone describe a typical day for SBLer and same for PBLer as well as test format for each.
Thanks
Hello, (sorry for the cut and paste, didn't feel like rewriting)
I am a third year student at WVSOM. I am also a member of the first PBL class. There have been some negative threads written about the program. I believe some have been accurate and others have not.
PBL is problem based learning. It is not problem based teaching, or PBT. The cases are designed to encourage and promote learning. They are a springboard to various topics and levels of information encountered in medical school. They may be less than cutting edge, but they provide a good foundation for active student learning. They are certainly not negligent.
I must be completely honest. I absolutely hated PBL the first 10 week block. I felt that I had made a huge mistake. The desire to compare yourself to the SBL students is overwhelming, and sometimes can be discouraging. The varied background of my classmates was also concerning. My perception of, what I perceived as disorganization, was obvious. My problem was that I didnt understand the concept of PBL. I was concerned that we werent learning enough to pass boards. I didnt trust it, and I didnt give it a chance before jumping to conclusions.
From what I understand, it is true that my classes pass rate was much lower than the SBL students. The rumor is that the figures posted here earlier are accurate, but what people need to realize is that individuals failed step 1. PBL did not fail the boards. The same goes for the SBL'ers who failed boards. I am not going to try and figure out why they failed, and Im certainly not going to badmouth any of them. I consider them friends and hope that all have great success in the future. They are all smart and motivated people.
A number of my PBL counterparts made well above the school average. It was somewhere around 485, but Im not exactly sure what it was. As for myself, my percentile score was 82 and my raw score was 588. These numbers are a comparison to all osteopathic students nationally, both PBL and SBL. I am not disclosing my scores to brag. I just want people to understand that the PBL program at WVSOM has been successful. There were very few tested concepts, on COMLEX, that I had not had some exposure to in the PBL cases. Whether I understood them to the level necessary to answer the questions was entirely my responsibility.
As far as the PBL dean is concerned, I have never felt that he wasn't approachable. In fact, following the release of Step 1 scores, I sent him an email attachment with some suggestions for the program. Im not sure if any of them were implemented, but they were thankfully accepted. I do not believe he, or any other dean, would be tolerant of anyone trying to completely restructure, or redirect, a program, especially if they havent taken boards.
People that know me might respond by making comments about my previous medical experience. That's why he did well on boards. This may be partly true, but it doesnt explain why a few of my classmates, with no medical experience, did just as well. PBL is their explanation, and I believe the bulk of my success can be attributed to it as well!
I am connected to this program. If it has a bad reputation, then all of the graduates of it may be stereotyped as being inferior. I would like to see everyone pass boards, those in my class and in future classes. PBL is not for everyone. Dont let a few negative comments discourage you, and for that matter dont let me make up your mind either. If you are interested in the program, then contact the dean. If you use the cases as a foundation for study, work hard, and find a good board review strategy, then chances are boards will not be a problem.
I have a great amount of respect for all of my classmates, and I made some very good friends during my 2 years in Lewisburg. My clinical rotations are going well, and most of them have been with allopaths (for those of you concerned about a stigma). I have no regrets about doing PBL, and I am certainly not regretful that I didnt sit in lecture for 40 hours per week!
dnrme44
p.s.-most of my rotations have been with allopathic physicians (M.D.'s). I have had no problems performing to the level that they expect. My rotation grades have been very good, and thier comments on the evaluation forms have been equally as good.
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