COMP surprise

[disgruntledatwu]

First, I might be a student at COMP...maybe or maybe not. And yes this is my first post...with this name....because at COMP you learn quickly that you don't F with the administration.

This is an FYI to the prospective students.

FYI, today the Dean announced that there will be MANDATORY attendance and a new PROFESSIONAL DRESS CODE. That's right sports fans. Where you attracted by Western's laid back students and promises of Apreso? Well it may all come crashing down. Why? WE DON'T KNOW!

Let's just say that a few students are um, upset, about the announcement. Some of the students like Apreso and came to Western because of the technology that makes learning more dynamic. For those who learn better at higher speed or like to pause lectures to take better notes, Apreso is a better learning experience. The truth is, we don't all learn best by sitting in the classroom and the motivations of the administration to fill that big room every day with well dress students seems less about our learning and more about some kind of school glamour.

So, if you are thinking about going to Western you should know that this may be the policy. If you are given an opportunity to voice a polite opinion, you may wish to mention that the attendance policy and the dress code are not your favorite things. We certainly NOT asked so you probably wont be either. Had this been the policy a year ago....there are some who would have explored other opportunities.

Thanks for reading

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[christina30]

Not the only school with said policies.

 

[ODorDO]

Is it because western just got a new dean?

 

[disgruntledatwu]

Christina, we didn't choose the other schools....partly for that. Also, you aren't a med student till august.

New Dean? No Dr. Adams has been around for a while.

 

[christina30]

Christina, we didn't choose the other schools....partly for that. Also, you aren't a med student till august.

New Dean? No Dr. Adams has been around for a while.

...And? Just saying, it's not something new and/or unheard of, and I wouldn't take a school off of my list because of such a policy. Why does it matter that I haven't started yet? It's pretty damn irrelevant to the topic at hand.

Don't be bitchy because I don't get why it's such a catastrophe.

 

[rawman]

What a bummer. I'm guessing business casual attire like LECOM? What about OMM? I'm hoping you get to wear something more comfortable.

Also, can't they have mandatory lectures AND Apreso? Why does that have to be put to a halt? I can imagine it would be a valuable resource if you missed something from lecture.

 

[DanielSTK]

awww and I really liked this school too

 

[LeemerDO]

Forgive the ignorance and lack of being informed, but what the hell is Apreso?

 

[Cheshyre]

Don't be bitchy because I don't get why it's such a catastrophe.

You also have nothing to do with the school.

 

[christina30]

You also have nothing to do with the school.

And? If he only wanted those to do with COMP to comment on it, he would've ONLY posted it in the school-specific thread. OP has no right to dictate who can and cannot offer an opinion, and neither do you.

 

[Antibodies]

And? If he only wanted those to do with COMP to comment on it, he would've ONLY posted it in the school-specific thread. OP has no right to dictate who can and cannot offer an opinion, and neither do you.

Since you aren't a med student yet you don't understand the significance of mandatory attendance and a dress code. There is also no point in explaining it to you now since you won't understand it. It is something you need to experience. What Western did is outrageous. Those are big changes (especially the attendance, not so much the dress code). The policy on attendance can be a big deciding factor for many students when picking schools.

Plus, having the med student status might confuse pre-meds into thinking you speak from experience when talking about med school. I would suggest you change it to reflect your true status.

disgruntledatwu, I hope there is a lot resistance from the students.

 

[Sinfest]

Forgive the ignorance and lack of being informed, but what the hell is Apreso?

I believe it's their system where you can watch lectures from a computer.

A lot of COMP students I've spoken with have said they would not attend lectures, and just watch the lectures from the comfort of their bed

 

[Black Adder]

First, I might be a student at COMP...maybe or maybe not. And yes this is my first post...with this name....because at COMP you learn quickly that you don't F with the administration.

This is an FYI to the prospective students.

FYI, today the Dean announced that there will be MANDATORY attendance and a new PROFESSIONAL DRESS CODE. That's right sports fans. Where you attracted by Western's laid back students and promises of Apreso? Well it may all come crashing down. Why? WE DON'T KNOW!

Let's just say that a few students are um, upset, about the announcement. Some of the students like Apreso and came to Western because of the technology that makes learning more dynamic. For those who learn better at higher speed or like to pause lectures to take better notes, Apreso is a better learning experience. The truth is, we don't all learn best by sitting in the classroom and the motivations of the administration to fill that big room every day with well dress students seems less about our learning and more about some kind of school glamour.

So, if you are thinking about going to Western you should know that this may be the policy. If you are given an opportunity to voice a polite opinion, you may wish to mention that the attendance policy and the dress code are not your favorite things. We certainly NOT asked so you probably wont be either. Had this been the policy a year ago....there are some who would have explored other opportunities.

Thanks for reading

The laidback feel of the place and Apreso were pretty big deciding factors in my decision to matriculate here. It's too late now for me to change my decision...... how likely do you feel this is actually going to be the policy? I didn't realize the administration was so unreceptive to the concerns of the students...

 

[ruiner]

...And? Just saying, it's not something new and/or unheard of, and I wouldn't take a school off of my list because of such a policy. Why does it matter that I haven't started yet? It's pretty damn irrelevant to the topic at hand.

Don't be bitchy because I don't get why it's such a catastrophe.

Maybe you wouldn't but many people would and to change it out of the blue, especially at a point many students have probably withrdawn other acceptances, is kind of dumb.

 

[Fatherdoc]

As a COMP Student I can honestly state that the concerns raised by the OP are blatant misrepresentations of facts. During this recent week of special coursework necessary for Second Year students to progress into rotations and the progression of our careers, some students ignored requests to return promptly following break. This request by a faculty member was an atypical one and reflected the unique nature of the class topics as preparation for upcoming rotations. The lack of respect shown to Administration is absurd and the response was more than appropriate. We need to accept responsibility for our actions and recognize the value we are given in being selected to participate in a medical education at COMP. COMP students are respected in allopathic and osteopathic institutions throughout the Western states. We have earned the privilege and distinction and badmouthing the institution is only equal to shooting oneself in the foot. Do you believe the average person will feel comfortable with their choice of physician if they believed the education was an online one? I respect my school and am proud to be a part of the student body. How many other medical schools filled their fall 2011 class by January 2010? If the OP is unhappy with accountability, I wonder what will happen during rotations and residency. If you are selected to attend COMP, consider yourself truly fortunate.

 

[Antibodies]

As a COMP Student I can honestly state that the concerns raised by the OP are blatant misrepresentations of facts. During this recent week of special coursework necessary for Second Year students to progress into rotations and the progression of our careers, some students ignored requests to return promptly following break. This request by a faculty member was an atypical one and reflected the unique nature of the class topics as preparation for upcoming rotations. The lack of respect shown to Administration is absurd and the response was more than appropriate. We need to accept responsibility for our actions and recognize the value we are given in being selected to participate in a medical education at COMP. COMP students are respected in allopathic and osteopathic institutions throughout the Western states. We have earned the privilege and distinction and badmouthing the institution is only equal to shooting oneself in the foot. Do you believe the average person will feel comfortable with their choice of physician if they believed the education was an online one? I respect my school and am proud to be a part of the student body. How many other medical schools filled their fall 2011 class by January 2010? If the OP is unhappy with accountability, I wonder what will happen during rotations and residency. If you are selected to attend COMP, consider yourself truly fortunate.

I see that you don't understand that different learning styles exist. Just because someone watches a lecture online doesn't mean they are getting an "online education". The point of the first 2 years is to teach you the material, this can be accomplished in numerous ways.

The bold statement is simply hilarious. The worst MD/DO school in the nation can fill their class within a day. The demand exceeds supply.

Plus, if the incident you describe is what cause the attendance change then the school administration overreacted quite a bit. The problem could have been solved differently.

 

[jellbell]

everyone is getting ahead of themselves. there is NOTHING set in stone yet. the dean stated that he was thinking of enforcing mandatory attendance a few days a week (he explicitly said that there would not be mandatory attendance every hour, every day...but only for select classes). we will still be wearing comfortable clothes to OMM. nothing was said about taking apreso (apreso being recorded lectures) away. if you need to listen or watch a lecture again, i'm sure it's going to be posted as it is now. i know everyone's learning styles are different, but there are going to be things throughout your educational and professional career that you just don't like. deal with it, get through it, and become a better person and physician because of it. i am so glad that i chose to come to western, and if the new policies go into action, this will not change my opinion of the school. enjoy the opportunities that are presented to you and take advantage of everything you are offered as a COMP student.

 

[christina30]

Maybe you wouldn't but many people would and to change it out of the blue, especially at a point many students have probably withrdawn other acceptances, is kind of dumb.

I didn't say that everybody should be okay with it, but being attacked because I, personally, wouldn't be bothered by it is pretty stupid. Last time I checked, I was allowed to have a differing opinion.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

everyone is getting ahead of themselves. there is NOTHING set in stone yet. the dean stated that he was thinking of enforcing mandatory attendance a few days a week (he explicitly said that there would not be mandatory attendance every hour, every day...but only for select classes). we will still be wearing comfortable clothes to OMM. nothing was said about taking apreso (apreso being recorded lectures) away. if you need to listen or watch a lecture again, i'm sure it's going to be posted as it is now. i know everyone's learning styles are different, but there are going to be things throughout your educational and professional career that you just don't like. deal with it, get through it, and become a better person and physician because of it. i am so glad that i chose to come to western, and if the new policies go into action, this will not change my opinion of the school. enjoy the opportunities that are presented to you and take advantage of everything you are offered as a COMP student.

As someone interested in COMP for this year, thank you for your "middle of the road" view.

Both disgruntle and Fatherdoc were giving the two extremes, and sometimes it can be hard to measure from only those two points of view

 

[Vita]

Yeah we have both at VCOM - dress code and mandatory attendance.

1st, the dress code is not a big deal.
2nd, "mandatory attendance" really just means "show up if you want bonus points." They don't take attendance here (except in labs), they just give bonus quizzes when they notice a lot of people aren't in the class. A lot of students never come to class, most pick and choose which lectures to attend (depending on who the lecturer is/ what the lecture is on).

Unless they are enforcing the attendance, I imagine that your school will be similar.

 

[disgruntledatwu]

Since I have strong suspicions that COMP administration has been posting on this thread I am going to let this be my last post.

COMP administration: For the new attendance policy, it may not be set in stone yet, but yesterday it sure sounded like it was one memo away. Please PLEASE poll the students and get feedback before making this important change. It may have a big impact on people's ability to study for success. Apreso might not be going away (and I never said it was by the way) but who has time to watch lectures twice? I barely have time to get through most of them once! Regarding the dress code, there are some of us who can barely afford rent and food, let alone a new wardrobe. There is a big difference between professional dress sometimes, and every day! Do I have the $$ for a new wardrobe? Nope. Do I want to take out more loans? Nope.

At COMP there is an environment where every disagreement between the students and the school turns into a beat down, and I am posting this here because the only recourse we really have is anonymity. To penalize the student population because of the actions of a few seems like an overreaction. I hope that this thread doesn't lead to more consequences for students or a witch hunt for me. I promise you, I will never EVER come forward.

For the pre-meds who think this is not a big deal, I have a suggestion. Mark you calendar for this date in your first year of med school. On that date reflect back on yourself and think about whether you actually had a clue....I guarantee that you will start laughing. You have no idea about the difficulty and the impact small changes can make on your schedule. When you are studying all day EVERY day a small change like being forced to attend lecture can literally make the difference between passing a test and not passing. People learn differently, in college you have time to adapt, in med school you don't have that luxury. Some people chose COMP because they don't learn best in a classroom (this is VERY common among med students by the way) is it fair that we are being newly forced to spend our valuable study time in lecture? I suggest no.

 

[antapolar]

I guess this 'new' rule would really hurt students that have already settled into routine studying habit. However, if you are attending a school with the policy already made, then you'd just accomodate right from the start.

It's always annoying to be the guinea pig of new rules, but things happen. I personally don't care either way, but I do like to have the "choice" to decide. Anyway, the policy are not set in stone yet, no need to panic.

 

[RG73]

For the pre-meds who think this is not a big deal, I have a suggestion. Mark you calendar for this date in your first year of med school. On that date reflect back on yourself and think about whether you actually had a clue....I guarantee that you will start laughing. You have no idea about the difficulty and the impact small changes can make on your schedule. When you are studying all day EVERY day a small change like being forced to attend lecture can literally make the difference between passing a test and not passing. People learn differently, in college you have time to adapt, in med school you don't have that luxury. Some people chose COMP because they don't learn best in a classroom (this is VERY common among med students by the way) is it fair that we are being newly forced to spend our valuable study time in lecture? I suggest no.

Well I probably don't have a clue, but I do know that I made it through both undergrad and grad school without having the option of watching video lectures. And pretty everyone who went to medical school before, oh, the last 5 years or so, probably had to do so with lectures. It is entirely possible, in fact, it has been that way for most of the history of education.

As for the notion that small changes are going to wreck your world, no offense, but that is really melodramatic. Life is going to throw changes small and big at you all the time. You have to adapt. I may not have a clue but what I do know is that someone who falls to pieces because they way they have to study changes is going to have serious issues when they get out into clinical rotations where people are going to throw monkeywrenches into the works all the time.

Yeah, if I had my choice I'd rather watch classes at home on my laptop. Well actually I'd rather be sitting on the beach with a cold beer watching the lectures on my laptop. But dear lord, at this point in our respective careers we all ought to realize life ain't fair. In fact, it usually sucks. In the grand scheme of things having to attend lectures and wear slacks and a button up shirt to class is hardly the worst fate that could befall anyone. Pretty much the rest of our lives are going to involve getting dressed up and doing things we might not want to do. I'm guessing that by the time I'm into residency and delirious with sleep deprivation and I haven't had a night off in weeks, well, I will probably look back fondly at the time I had to sit in lecture and got to go home by 5.

 

[Antibodies]

Well I probably don't have a clue, but I do know that I made it through both undergrad and grad school without having the option of watching video lectures. And pretty everyone who went to medical school before, oh, the last 5 years or so, probably had to do so with lectures. It is entirely possible, in fact, it has been that way for most of the history of education.

As for the notion that small changes are going to wreck your world, no offense, but that is really melodramatic. Life is going to throw changes small and big at you all the time. You have to adapt. I may not have a clue but what I do know is that someone who falls to pieces because they way they have to study changes is going to have serious issues when they get out into clinical rotations where people are going to throw monkeywrenches into the works all the time.

Yeah, if I had my choice I'd rather watch classes at home on my laptop. Well actually I'd rather be sitting on the beach with a cold beer watching the lectures on my laptop. But dear lord, at this point in our respective careers we all ought to realize life ain't fair. In fact, it usually sucks. In the grand scheme of things having to attend lectures and wear slacks and a button up shirt to class is hardly the worst fate that could befall anyone. Pretty much the rest of our lives are going to involve getting dressed up and doing things we might not want to do. I'm guessing that by the time I'm into residency and delirious with sleep deprivation and I haven't had a night off in weeks, well, I will probably look back fondly at the time I had to sit in lecture and got to go home by 5.

That opening statement was the most accurate in your post. But honestly, undergrad is vastly different from med school. The OP is right, you don't have time to watch a lecture twice. You need to get it as much as you can from it in the first time around. Requiring attendance results in a huge change in studying method. I really am not going to sit here and try to convince pre-meds. Like the OP said, after you have been in med school for some time, think back to this and see if your opinion changed.

 

[ODorDO]

Christina, we didn't choose the other schools....partly for that. Also, you aren't a med student till august.

New Dean? No Dr. Adams has been around for a while.

I thought Dr. Connent was the Dean couple of years ago

 

[CandB]

ACTUALLY THAT IS NOT THE TRUTH. AS OF NOW THERE IS NO MANDATORY DRESS CODE OR ATTENDANCE. It was only something that was discussed. If you are considering WU do not let this person's negative attitude and disinformation influence you. Check out the school or talk to some current students. You will get a better feel for things if you do that as opposed to simply taking the word of this ruh-****. AND YES I AM CURRENTLY A STUDENT AT WESTERN AND IM GLAD IM HERE AND NOT AT SOME OTHER SCHOOLS I WAS ACCEPTED TO (I had my choice of 7).

 

[MSmentor018]

This is an FYI to the prospective students.

FYI, today the Dean announced that there will be MANDATORY attendance and a new PROFESSIONAL DRESS CODE.

welcome to LECOM

 

[darthsolo84]

Let's get some things straight:

Dress Code - At this point, nothing has been officially decided. After polling the 2013 DO students, their inclination was to actually enforce the dress policy that has been in the University Catalog all along. It is as follows:

"DRESS CODE/IDENTIFICATION
Students are required to dress in a professional manner at all times.
During classroom lectures, students are required to wear clothing that is in good repair (no patches).
Footwear is required at all times. Dress for skills labs should not be worn outside the laboratory area.
Tank tops, halters, scrubsuits and headgear (hats/helmets) are not to be worn in the classrooms. Shorts may
be worn, but no more than 3” above the knee. Hair, beards, and mustaches must be clean, net, trimmed at
all times. Students are expected to conform to the commonly acceptable social standards of personal
hygiene.
White clinic jackets must be worn at Honors Day, Awareness Conferences, Health Fairs, and in all
clinical settings."

This has been brought to the dean, and an ongoing discussion is taking place, and will involve a student-lead proposal for what the final plan of action will be.

Class/Attendance - What has been implemented is a shift in the way curriculum is delivered at Western/COMP. Beginning with the system-based courses (i.e. cardiology, GI, blood & lymphatics, etc), students will engage in a Case-Based approach to learning, where they work in small groups during the week, and then the class meets in a large group discussion of the cases. This large group discussion is lead by all the involved clinical and basic sciences faculty to the system, where they supplement the discussion with smaller, condensed lectures that are focused on the cases. This takes the total in-class lecture time for a given systems course from ~20 hrs per week to 6-9 hrs (depending on how many large group sessions there are, 2 or 3). This is NOT PBL (problem-based learning), as all the essential information to solve the cases and answer the relevant questions is provided in supplemental documents generated by the faculty. Should you choose to do additional literature searches on your own, that's up to you. Regarding attendance, at this point, its not technically mandatory in the sense that they will take attendance, but there is always a quiz at the beginning of the discussion, so it's on you to decide whether or not you plan on attending.

I hope this clears up some of the confusion. Feel free to reply with questions, I'll be happy to answer.

 

[AMEHigh]

That opening statement was the most accurate in your post. But honestly, undergrad is vastly different from med school. The OP is right, you don't have time to watch a lecture twice. You need to get it as much as you can from it in the first time around. Requiring attendance results in a huge change in studying method. I really am not going to sit here and try to convince pre-meds. Like the OP said, after you have been in med school for some time, think back to this and see if your opinion changed.

I just wanted to agree with this. The ability to watch lectures online live or recorded isn't about being lazy or wanting to sit on the beach while going over lectures...it's about learning the most effectively. Personally for me, a lot of the time (especially during our biochem block) being in class was a HUGE waste of time. The professors were great, but there's so much info and they moved quickly that it was harder for me to keep up. I would end up having to go over the lecture again at my own pace anyway. My grades vastly improved when I stopped going to class, studied on my own pace and I didn't feel like I was wasting time.

 

[Vooodooo]

I'd also like to make the point that not everyone who utilizes Apreso dislikes the curriculum changes. Apreso allows the time to pause and reflect on the material being taught. Implementing these curriculum changes will promote the same. This is my style of learning; process, reflect and discuss. The new curriculum makes me SUPER excited because it will utilize:

1. Past years Apreso files.
2. Case based learning
3. PDF documents for those looking for details

I'm personally excited about the changes and for those looking to come to Western I believe that you will find that the faculty are working on directing the curriculum to all learning styles.

On a side note: For those out there that think Apreso is only for the lazy, you should really consider the fact that we were all accepted to medical school because of our passion for medicine, strong will, drive and of course MCAT and GPA (unfortunately), NOT laziness. Perhaps, just maybe we use Apreso because it facilitates our learning styles! Just a thought.

 

[Siggy]

Perhaps, just maybe we use Apreso because it facilitates our learning styles! Just a thought.

That... and the variable speed option. If I could buy the 2x speed option a beer, I would...

 

[thevillageidiot]

I'd also like to make the point that not everyone who utilizes Apreso dislikes the curriculum changes. Apreso allows the time to pause and reflect on the material being taught. Implementing these curriculum changes will promote the same. This is my style of learning; process, reflect and discuss. The new curriculum makes me SUPER excited because it will utilize:

1. Past years Apreso files.
2. Case based learning
3. PDF documents for those looking for details

I'm personally excited about the changes and for those looking to come to Western I believe that you will find that the faculty are working on directing the curriculum to all learning styles.

On a side note: For those out there that think Apreso is only for the lazy, you should really consider the fact that we were all accepted to medical school because of our passion for medicine, strong will, drive and of course MCAT and GPA (unfortunately), NOT laziness. Perhaps, just maybe we use Apreso because it facilitates our learning styles! Just a thought.

the thing is that past years apreso files could have things that are out of date.

 

[NukeQuazar]

3. PDF documents for those looking for details

I'm pretty sure that should be all of us. At least those of us looking to get a license to prescribe medication and cut into people...

 

[NukeQuazar]

I'd also like to make the point that not everyone who utilizes Apreso dislikes the curriculum changes. Apreso allows the time to pause and reflect on the material being taught. Implementing these curriculum changes will promote the same. This is my style of learning; process, reflect and discuss. The new curriculum makes me SUPER excited because it will utilize:

1. Past years Apreso files.
2. Case based learning
3. PDF documents for those looking for details

I'm personally excited about the changes and for those looking to come to Western I believe that you will find that the faculty are working on directing the curriculum to all learning styles.

On a side note: For those out there that think Apreso is only for the lazy, you should really consider the fact that we were all accepted to medical school because of our passion for medicine, strong will, drive and of course MCAT and GPA (unfortunately), NOT laziness. Perhaps, just maybe we use Apreso because it facilitates our learning styles! Just a thought.

Learning medicine by PowerPoint, group meetings and stale lectures from a couple years ago is kind of my worst nightmare but I guess we'll get through it.

the thing is that past years apreso files could have things that are out of date.

How's it going for you?

 

[Siggy]

the thing is that past years apreso files could have things that are out of date.

The things that we're learning at the level that we're learning aren't things that are changing from year to year.

 

[NukeQuazar]

The things that we're learning at the level that we're learning aren't things that are changing from year to year.

It's true that the location and function of the femur never changes, but when you have PhD's up there 20 hours/week they will mention the latest advancements in their field of research.

 

[thevillageidiot]

How's it going for you?

I'm doing pretty well in the classes, but the way the curriculum is going is not promising at all. Looking at the schedule for next year, it looks like there is a lot more small group/large group and a MAJOR shift away from didactics. The curriculum changes are happening at a pace that I do not think the university has adequate resources to sustain, especially if they are opening that new campus in Lebanon (on top of the three new colleges added this year). The shift to small group/large group curriculum is a lot of empty rhetoric. Sure, you can say that by going into this small group/large group (PBL lite) curriculum you are creating more independent, lifelong learners, but to me it just seems like I am paying (more) tuition for less actual instruction.

 

[thevillageidiot]

The things that we're learning at the level that we're learning aren't things that are changing from year to year.

If you printed out slides or reviewed lectures beforehand (I know that I'm not the only one that does this), you would know that there have been several lecturers who completely changed powerpoint slides the day of the presentation. This has resulted in a lot of wasted paper, wasted ink, and frustration. This pretty much makes old apreso ppts and slides out of date in my opinion.

 

[NukeQuazar]

I'm doing pretty well in the classes, but the way the curriculum is going is not promising at all. Looking at the schedule for next year, it looks like there is a lot more small group/large group and a MAJOR shift away from didactics. The curriculum changes are happening at a pace that I do not think the university has adequate resources to sustain, especially if they are opening that new campus in Lebanon (on top of the three new colleges added this year). The shift to small group/large group curriculum is a lot of empty rhetoric. Sure, you can say that by going into this small group/large group (PBL lite) curriculum you are creating more independent, lifelong learners, but to me it just seems like I am paying (more) tuition for less actual instruction.

So you've gone through a full unit in this new format?

I don't know much, but your appraisal that they're rushing this change seems correct. And, maybe, with all the new colleges and students they simply don't have the teachers and/or money and/or space to handle the lecture hours so they're shifting that time to groups and self-study via powerpoint.

 

[thevillageidiot]

So you've gone through a full unit in this new format?

Once June 14th is over, we will have finished the first system (Musculoskeletal) that has utilized the small group/large group method of teaching. It's a five credit hour course, that will have incorporated two small group/large group sessions along with lectures. However, looking at next year's curriculum, we start off Endocrine and it seems completely composed of small group/large group.

Here are the problems I have faced with this type of learning:
1. groups are preassigned, but small groups are not mandatory. people are already starting to form their own groups or have stopped going to small groups entirely.
2. the small groups are not led by any sort of faculty member even though they stated that some faculty members would float around to see how things were going.
3. every time there is a large group session, we have a quiz, which isn't too hard and forces people to go to class... at least until the quiz is over.
4. the large group session is not very organized, and after having studied the material beforehand to prepare for the quiz, I don't feel like the material presented there isn't enhancing my learning of the material.

Reasons for the change have been that other schools are implementing similar programs and that it is supposed to be more conducive to retaining board relevant material, but the schedule for next year is too quick of a transition. The cynic in me thinks that the administration is carrying out most of these changes just for financial reasons, in order to extend resources to other colleges and the Lebanon campus (I sincerely hope this is not the case). This is great for those developing programs, but the administration needs to understand that it is the DO program that they are known for. If the change in curriculum does not pan out, it does not bode well for WesternU's reputation.

I am outraged and I feel betrayed. I am only using this outlet to voice my concerns about the curriculum because I am tired of presenting it at the dean's town hall meetings only to be greeted by a political filibuster that tries to belittle my concerns. I look forward to a response from "Fatherdoc" or some other WesternU administration representative that creates an account just to downplay what I am saying.

 

[Antibodies]

Once June 14th is over, we will have finished the first system (Musculoskeletal) that has utilized the small group/large group method of teaching. It's a five credit hour course, that will have incorporated two small group/large group sessions along with lectures. However, looking at next year's curriculum, we start off Endocrine and it seems completely composed of small group/large group.

Here are the problems I have faced with this type of learning:
1. groups are preassigned, but small groups are not mandatory. people are already starting to form their own groups or have stopped going to small groups entirely.
2. the small groups are not led by any sort of faculty member even though they stated that some faculty members would float around to see how things were going.
3. every time there is a large group session, we have a quiz, which isn't too hard and forces people to go to class... at least until the quiz is over.
4. the large group session is not very organized, and after having studied the material beforehand to prepare for the quiz, I don't feel like the material presented there isn't enhancing my learning of the material.

Reasons for the change have been that other schools are implementing similar programs and that it is supposed to be more conducive to retaining board relevant material, but the schedule for next year is too quick of a transition. The cynic in me thinks that the administration is carrying out most of these changes just for financial reasons, in order to extend resources to other colleges and the Lebanon campus (I sincerely hope this is not the case). This is great for those developing programs, but the administration needs to understand that it is the DO program that they are known for. If the change in curriculum does not pan out, it does not bode well for WesternU's reputation.

I am outraged and I feel betrayed. I am only using this outlet to voice my concerns about the curriculum because I am tired of presenting it at the dean's town hall meetings only to be greeted by a political filibuster that tries to belittle my concerns. I look forward to a response from "Fatherdoc" or some other WesternU administration representative that creates an account just to downplay what I am saying.

Wow, #2 would be terrible. I won't want to spend time cluelessly trying to figure stuff out as a small group. Rather have someone present the info.

 

[jellbell]

while there are a few things that the administration has to figure out, i don't think that the new curriculum is going to be a complete disaster. this past test has been my highest grade on an exam to date, and i can honestly say that the small group work, as well as the extra independent time really learning the cases has been extremely beneficial. you will find that you are not clueless as a group. the cases are not extremely complicated (they don't want us to be like house, they just want us to learn common info/pathology/physiology that we will see on the boards and often in our future practice), so you will probably not steer yourselves in the wrong direction. if you do, you will realize it pretty quickly and get back on track. although the faculty is not sitting in each room with the groups, they are very quick to get back to the students when there are questions. i feel like they want this new change to work and they will work with us to make sure it does.