Curriculum - which is better & why?

[swtiepie711]

While I realize that no student really gets to experience both, I'm trying to see the pros and cons of different curriculum. From what I can tell, there's two major categories: organ system-based curriculum and "traditional." I tried to identify what is meant by "traditional," and one source said "some medical schools teach only one subject at a time." Not too many of the schools I visited seemed to have this approach - so I don't know if that's really what a "traditional" curriculum is. And, of course, there will also be hybrids of these, but, if you're a med student, what curriculum do you have at your school & why do you/don't you like it?
For pre-meds, what do you know/think are the pros/cons of the different curriculum?
Did you or will you use this as a factor in choosing which med school to attend? Any advice is GREATLY appreciated!

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[GottaLuvIt]

I would suggest moving this thread to the allopathic group to hear from the medical students. I'm very interested in this as well as I am choosing between schools with contrasting curriculum. We probably won't get as much feedback from medical students with this topic posted in the pre-med forum.....

 

[swtiepie711]

I would suggest moving this thread to the allopathic group to hear from the medical students. I'm very interested in this as well as I am choosing between schools with contrasting curriculum. We probably won't get as much feedback from medical students with this topic posted in the pre-med forum.....

I tried - when it got to 30 views with no responses, I deleted it over there & brought it over here....

 

[The Buff]

I guess I will bite....

I go to a school with an organ-based structure. Typically each "block" of material has everything about an organ sysytem or two in it (eg cardiovascular and pulmonary). At my school we do each organ system twice (once first year and once second year). First year we do a system's embryology, histology, anatomy, and physiology. Second year focuses on the pathology and pathophysiology of each system.

I like it becuase you learn about individual parts of the body at one time and can easily structure everything in your mind (at least in my mind). It is easy to see how one disesase relates to another within each system and how the archetecture of an organ relates to its function. As far as dislikes, sometimes I think it would be easier to just go over all the types of cancer at once, or all of pharm at once since these things are related and it can be annoying to go over them again and again with each system.

Overall, I only have experience with the one, but I think studying just one system at a time, with all of its intracacies, is easier to get your head around. Just my opinion.

 

[swtiepie711]

I guess I will bite....

Thanks for sharing! Anyone with a "traditional" system care to share?

 

[dpmd]

I always thought the traditional system was one where you learn all about the normal first year, then the abnormal second year. At my school we started with a couple "core principles" blocks that basically introduced things from microanatomy, statistics, human development, gross anatomy, etc. Then we did organ systems, inluding pathology and pathophysiology, over the remainder of the two years. I did hear classmates complaining of having to identify abnormal slides without having learned what all the normal stuff looked like, but I liked having the normal and abnormal together. It made it easier to remember stuff more easily by being able to relate it to what happens when the system doesn't work correctly. That said, I think you will learn well in either system.

 

[zimmie256]

Any other thoughts?

 

[CCLCMer]

While I realize that no student really gets to experience both, I'm trying to see the pros and cons of different curriculum. From what I can tell, there's two major categories: organ system-based curriculum and "traditional." I tried to identify what is meant by "traditional," and one source said "some medical schools teach only one subject at a time." Not too many of the schools I visited seemed to have this approach - so I don't know if that's really what a "traditional" curriculum is. And, of course, there will also be hybrids of these, but, if you're a med student, what curriculum do you have at your school & why do you/don't you like it?
For pre-meds, what do you know/think are the pros/cons of the different curriculum?
Did you or will you use this as a factor in choosing which med school to attend? Any advice is GREATLY appreciated!

Our curriculum is organ block based. We do a year of normal organ blocks (this year) and then next year we go through them all again, but abnormal. Personally, I don't think that it's all that big of a deal whether you learn by subjects or you learn by organs. The goal of doing it by organs is that you get a more integrated picture. But by the end of M2, you wind up getting all of the same info in the long run regardless of which method your school uses. I would say, don't use this as a method of choosing between schools. Either kind of curriculum will prepare you for Step 1 as long as you study, which is really all that matters.