curriculum preference

[prone2xl]

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what's the difference between integrated curriculum and systems-based?
I know that some schools are starting with integrated and then going to systems, what's the advantage if any of doing this? Is systems from the get-go a better idea? I just don't understand..
just curious in the differences between the 2 and how the board pass rates vary between the two diff type curriculums.


thanks!

 

[DocEspana]

what's the difference between integrated curriculum and systems-based?
I know that some schools are starting with integrated and then going to systems, what's the advantage if any of doing this? Is systems from the get-go a better idea? I just don't understand..
just curious in the differences between the 2 and how the board pass rates vary between the two diff type curriculums.


thanks!

no clue. You'll have to find someone who took one, got their brain wiped off all education (but kept their opinions on their experience) and then took the other. Without that situation you'd have only conjecture here.

I conjecture (is that the proper verb?) that integrated first then systems is probably best since it gives you a solid (if rushed) ground of basic science and then you can really focus in on pathology of it all in every class. Sort of how you do histology for a few months before you do pathology.

Then again I can see the point, if you're willing to self-study the basics a lot, for full time systems-based being equal or better. Or rather, I conject (is that the right verb?) so.

The only thing i've heard conclusively is that all the current docs say at least one year of systems based is a lot better than no systems based years at all.

 

[christina30]

It's hard to get a good answer to this question because there's probably no one out there who's experienced BOTH types of curriculum for the full 2 years.

That being said, my school is essentially systems-based from day 1. There's an Intro block that sort of focuses on the basic sciences, but there's also so much more thrown in with it. I can barely remember, it was only back in August but it feels like YEARS!

Anyway, I love systems-based. I find that all of the information from all of these vastly different subjects all ultimately overlaps & converges. It makes understanding & putting all of your knowledge on a particular system/disease/whatever together in your mind - sort of brings you to that "A-ha!!" moment a little bit faster.

And studying for exams is a little bit easier because of all that overlap - what you're studying for one lecture is probably also included somewhere in at LEAST one other lecture, so it's like you're killing 2+ birds with one stone.

 

[prone2xl]

would it be beneficial to have the integrated portion first before the systems based kicks in though? like for biochem, etc? just curious as someone who hasn't had biochem yet.... trying to decide which school would be best for me

 

[christina30]

would it be beneficial to have the integrated portion first before the systems based kicks in though? like for biochem, etc? just curious as someone who hasn't had biochem yet.... trying to decide which school would be best for me

We didn't have it integrated at first in that sense at NYCOM- there were never formal courses in biochem/microbio/genetics/cell bio/histology/whatever, and I haven't found that it's made anything more difficult. In undergrad, I never took any biology other than intro bio 1/2, & I managed fine without those basic science courses in M1.