Anyone know what the "harvard Pathway" is?

[Trader56]

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On another forum, I saw a passing reference to something called the Harvard Pathway. Unfortunately, this term was not explained, and I haven't been able to get an answer so far. Since this forum has been so helpful, I thought I'd ask here.

Can anyone tell me what this Harvard Pathway is?
How does this relate to foreign schools?

Thank you all again!

 

[retroviridae]

On another forum, I saw a passing reference to something called the Harvard Pathway. Unfortunately, this term was not explained, and I haven't been able to get an answer so far. Since this forum has been so helpful, I thought I'd ask here.

Can anyone tell me what this Harvard Pathway is?
How does this relate to foreign schools?

Thank you all again!

I don't know. They have a post-bac program where if you didn't take the prereqs for med school as an undergrad, you can take them at Harvard. It has a pretty good success rate for getting studyents into good US med schools.

 

[f_w]

If your question relates to medschool, I believe it describes a concept heavily relying on 'problem based learning' rather than 'full frontal' classroom type instruction. HMS apparently pioneered this, and now people think it is the gospel. Other schools try to model their curriculum after it with from what I heard mixed results.

 

[Skip Intro]

I hate to admit (especially since he is, more often than not, simply a bastion unsupported opinion) that f_w is right in this case. Guess this is proof that even a blind batter can get a hit once and a while.

Case-based education, as a way to teach the pre-clinical sciences to medical students, was pioneered by Harvard in the early 1990's, and was even chronicled in the PBS special, "So You Want To Be A Doctor" which first aired in 1991 and was narrated by (of all people) Neil Patrick Harris of "Doogie Howser, MD" fame.

At the time (and perhaps since), it was considered the new paradigm of medical education and a better way to achieve the goal of getting medical students to "think like doctors" faster. However, most medical programs have since adopted an educational model in the pre-clinical sciences that is more a marriage of this case-directed "Problem-Based Learning" (PBL) and straight didactics instead of abandoning the old ways outright for this new paradigm.

-Skip

 

[Trader56]

Thank you all, all of you, for taking time to respond to my many questions on this and my other threads!

Best wishes,
Trader

 

[UsydGrad]

Case-based education, as a way to teach the pre-clinical sciences to medical students, was pioneered by Harvard in the early 1990's, and was even chronicled in the PBS special, "So You Want To Be A Doctor" which first aired in 1991 and was narrated by (of all people) Neil Patrick Harris of "Doogie Howser, MD" fame.

At the time (and perhaps since), it was considered the new paradigm of medical education and a better way to achieve the goal of getting medical students to "think like doctors" faster. However, most medical programs have since adopted an educational model in the pre-clinical sciences that is more a marriage of this case-directed "Problem-Based Learning" (PBL) and straight didactics instead of abandoning the old ways outright for this new paradigm.

-Skip

Actually, this concept is generally considered to have been "pioneered" by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine where it was introduced in 1952 (at Western Reserve before its merger with Case). It was considered a very bold experiment. Since that time, it has gone in and out of vogue in many US schools. The concept has been tinkered with for over half a century. I would recommend A Time to Heal: American Medical Education from the Turn of the Century to the Era of Managed Care by Kenneth M. Ludmerer. It's a good read.

It will not work without the enthusiasm and full (and ongoing) support of the clinical faculty. There are schools (in some places) where the clinical faculty have all but given up on the concept. (With very large PBL tutorials now being run by graduate students in the humanities sitting there with large manuals containing their scripts for each case.) These programs have ended up a dismal failure.

 

[Skip Intro]

Actually, this concept is generally considered to have been "pioneered" by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine where it was introduced in 1952 (at Western Reserve before its merger with Case). It was considered a very bold experiment. Since that time, it has gone in and out of vogue in many US schools. The concept has been tinkered with for over half a century. I would recommend A Time to Heal: American Medical Education from the Turn of the Century to the Era of Managed Care by Kenneth M. Ludmerer. It's a good read.

Ahh... thanks for the information, upon which I'll take you at face value because I'm just not all that interested in the history (nor do I think it's all that critical to debate it) of PBL. Suffice to say that the "So You Want To Be A Doctor" program, which I watched at the time it came out, used the buzzwords word "pioneering" and "new paradigm", not I.

Will check out this book if I have time.

It will not work without the enthusiasm and full (and ongoing) support of the clinical faculty. There are schools (in some places) where the clinical faculty have all but given up on the concept. (With very large PBL tutorials now being run by graduate students in the humanities sitting there with large manuals containing their scripts for each case.) These programs have ended up a dismal failure.

I agree. And, especially since your clinical years (i.e. MS3 and MS4) are real-time "Problem Based Learning" on actual patients, I can understand the lack of enthusiasm by most faculty (and students) who often feel lost and struggle with how to cover all the concepts in, for example, biochemistry using a PBL format.

-Skip

 

[UsydGrad]

I agree. And, especially since your clinical years (i.e. MS3 and MS4) are real-time "Problem Based Learning" on actual patients, I can understand the lack of enthusiasm by most faculty (and students) who often feel lost and struggle with how to cover all the concepts in, for example, biochemistry using a PBL format.

-Skip

How many times have you endured a PBL that degenerates into something like the "to all IMGs...." thread. 😱

I'm not sure the PBL concept is fundamentally flawed. In some places, though, the execution has flopped. And, you're looking at romper room gone seriously wrong. Everyone involved has lost all belief. Tutors don't show up. So, half the group doesn't bother to show up. Nobody reads the cases. There is virtually no useful assessment of knowledge and skills. The PBL charade continues into the 3rd and 4th years (which in some places are designed to be split 50% clinical/50% crap) when students should be rounding with clinicians, learning at the bedside and making themselves useful. A complete waste of time for everyone. In these places, PBL has simply become the code-word for everything that is wrong with a program. And psychologically, PBL is probably beyond repair.

 

[UsydGrad]

Ahh... thanks for the information, upon which I'll take you at face value...

No no! You can't do that. You with the finest tag line of all! 😉

Do your own homework. Use the Internet as a resource, but don't trust, believe, or take at face-value anything you read on a forum. Independently verify everything.

That is simply the best advice anyone can give regarding this board. 🙂

Suffice to say that the "So You Want To Be A Doctor" program, which I watched at the time it came out, used the buzzwords word "pioneering" and "new paradigm", not I.

Fair enough. I didn't really mean to be argumentive. Certainly, it probably was "pioneering" and a "new paradigm" for Harvard! Also, I would expect that they have some things that are unique to their program. You had people in Australia claiming this was a "new paradigm" in 2000! I suppose it was for them.

Will check out this book if I have time.

The book really is a winner. It's been repeatedly described as the most important piece of work on medical education of our time. It's a real book -- you know, mainline. Not some obscure dissertation. I agree, there are higher priority things that need reading.