Disrespectful to not go to lecture? (podcasts available)

[Elbowstoopointy]

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What do you guys think about this? I tend to think that we're paying a ton of money and its up to us how we spend our time. Besides, class seems more like a social event sometimes...

 

[Crow King]

I honestly cannot understand the point of classes in medical school. When you are working through a tough math or chemistry problem there are a million places you can **** up and a textbook cannot cover all of them so lecturing makes sense, you can get corrections when you get lost in the course of watching the prof solve a problem. For memorizing a bunch of crap there is really no point, for me at least.

Whether or not it is disrespectful so what? Do what's best for yourself, not some professors ego.

 

[MilkmanAl]

It's your education. Do what helps you learn the best. If the school and professors want to throw a hissy because nobody likes their lectures, that's on them. They're not the ones who'll be treating your patients.

 

[sindadel]

While I'm a big proponent of skipping lectures judiciously, I do think it reflects poorly on the student body if there are only a handful of people for any particular lecture. The lecturer got up early (or stayed before a holiday weekend) and prepared a lecture and can often be a pretty cool resource for asking questions or getting clinical tips.

So I'm torn. If a small percentage of students always skip and a large percentage of students sometimes skip (but not all at the same time), I doubt the lecturer would notice. And I'm certainly no fan of mandatory attendance.

 

[Elbowstoopointy]

It's your education. Do what helps you learn the best. If the school and professors want to throw a hissy because nobody likes their lectures, that's on them. They're not the ones who'll be treating your patients.

People at my school (east coast) act like it is very insulting to skip lectures. You get a lot of **** if you don't go consistently.

That being said...about 70% go normally

 

[golfman]

If I were a professor teaching medical students, this is how I would feel: If students don't come to class and do well on the tests I give, then more power to them. That means they are learning the material, which is the important thing. However, if students don't come to class and do poorly on my tests, they would definitely feel my wrath.

So, for me I don't think skipping class is disrespectful unless you do very poorly on the tests and don't learn the material. Then I think it's disrespectful. Probably a confusing answer to a simple question, but whatever.

 

[Ghost22]

Learning how you learn best is the most important thing. If you're a big auditory learner, lecture is going to be GREAT for you (if you're paying attention). If you're a visual or hands-on guy, it will pretty much be wasted time, and you really can't afford that.

Test drive lectures in general and specific lecturers before discounting it, but worrying about hurting egos at the expense the highest quality of education just seems silly.

 

[link2swim06]

I am paying them, not the other way around.

I go to school to get a piece of paper saying I have attained an amount of knowledge....not that I watched someone talk for 2,000 hours.

 

[secants]

I actually enjoy going to lectures every now and then but in our pathology class, they stated lectures were optional. Also, only professors who are okay with recording their lectures allow it anyway.

All second year is to my school is reading Robbins Pathology so what's the point in really going?

We do however have mandatory labs and small groups so I think that makes up for it IMO.

 

[NickNaylor]

I feel bad skipping classes, but at the end of the day I only have so much time to learn the material and have to do what works best for me.

 

[SoundofSilver]

If someone is able to learn the material more efficiently by not going to lecture, then it really shouldn't be a big deal.

Personally, I think it would be disrespectful to the students if they were forced to go to lecture rather than being able to decide on their own how to best use their time.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Personally, I think it would be disrespectful to the students if they were forced to go to lecture rather than being able to decide on their own how to best use their time.

Couldn't agree more. We're all adults, so let us use the time as we see fit.

 

[Shadowmoses]

I skipped classes all week and just studied on my own. I went today because a professor I enjoy listening too was teaching. When she saw me the first thing she said was that I wasn't in her class 2 days ago, and it totally caught me off guard because I checked the schedule for the week and it never listed her as a lecturer for that day.

I hope she bought my pitiful excuse that I was on a vacation....lol

 

[J ROD]

I think you can go or not go....depending on what YOU need.

They get paid for teaching whether we show or not.

If they didnt want us to skip then give us less material....

 

[SoDakMLS]

This issue has already cropped up at my school. We get some mixed messages--the school officially has a mandatory attendance policy, but lectures are recorded and available online and at least one of the professors has given his okay to skip his lectures. We do have clinicians give guess lectures that are absolutely mandatory, even though the materials end up online.

I personally think it is disrespectful. To me at least showing up with good intentions (the mind does like to wander sometimes...) acknowledges that the lecturer knows information you don't and you'd like them to share that with you. Sometimes skipping gives off a "Me! Me! Me!" vibe that seems oddly out of place in medicine, where you are charged with the consideration of others and their feelings.

My $.02.

 

[2012mdc]

This issue has already cropped up at my school. We get some mixed messages--the school officially has a mandatory attendance policy, but lectures are recorded and available online and at least one of the professors has given his okay to skip his lectures. We do have clinicians give guess lectures that are absolutely mandatory, even though the materials end up online.

I personally think it is disrespectful. To me at least showing up with good intentions (the mind does like to wander sometimes...) acknowledges that the lecturer knows information you don't and you'd like them to share that with you. Sometimes skipping gives off a "Me! Me! Me!" vibe that seems oddly out of place in medicine, where you are charged with the consideration of others and their feelings.

My $.02.

Of course the lecturer knows stuff we don't. But many times that stuff is clinically irrelevant and stuff that's pure memorization doesn't need to be learned in class

 

[QofQuimica]

When I was teaching, I never cared if students showed up for lecture--I got paid the same regardless of whether I was teaching one person or one thousand. And if people were whispering to their friends during class or otherwise disturbing other students who did want to hear the lecture, I would even tell them to leave. Now labs are another story; those were absolutely not optional, for obvious reasons. I think you can apply the same logic to medical school classes. Small groups and labs should never be skipped. Lectures can be skipped at your discretion.

 

[FIREitUP]

While I'm a big proponent of skipping lectures judiciously, I do think it reflects poorly on the student body if there are only a handful of people for any particular lecture. The lecturer got up early (or stayed before a holiday weekend) and prepared a lecture and can often be a pretty cool resource for asking questions or getting clinical tips.

So I'm torn. If a small percentage of students always skip and a large percentage of students sometimes skip (but not all at the same time), I doubt the lecturer would notice. And I'm certainly no fan of mandatory attendance.

Bolded is not usually the case. I'll go for the good lecturers, but lecturers who put minimal effort into their notes and powerpoints creating a jumbled lesson that makes it harder to learn seem to be the predominating in my school.

 

[mvenus929]

I think talking during class is much more disrespectful than not showing up. However, I do think it is disrespectful for students to not show up to things like patient presentations (where the patient is present).

 

[Lbgem]

I skipped classes all week and just studied on my own. I went today because a professor I enjoy listening too was teaching. When she saw me the first thing she said was that I wasn't in her class 2 days ago, and it totally caught me off guard because I checked the schedule for the week and it never listed her as a lecturer for that day.

I hope she bought my pitiful excuse that I was on a vacation....lol

Truth would have been better imo. Aint lying + flattering the lecturer.

 

[alphaholic06]

Why would it be disrepectful? Your job is to learn the information. If you do that better by not going to lecture, so be it.

 

[2012mdc]

Why would it be disrepectful? Your job is to learn the information. If you do that better by not going to lecture, so be it.

I will admit that not all lecturers are created equal and there are the rare ones who put a lot of effort in and don't simply repeat the same exact ppt from the year before and simply just read from it.

It could be disrespectful if a prof puts legit effort in and barely anyone shows up. With that said if you can't learn even from a good lecturer then don't go

 

[RySerr21]

While I'm a big proponent of skipping lectures judiciously, I do think it reflects poorly on the student body if there are only a handful of people for any particular lecture. The lecturer got up early (or stayed before a holiday weekend) and prepared a lecture and can often be a pretty cool resource for asking questions or getting clinical tips.

So I'm torn. If a small percentage of students always skip and a large percentage of students sometimes skip (but not all at the same time), I doubt the lecturer would notice. And I'm certainly no fan of mandatory attendance.

It doesn't reflect on the student body, it reflects on the lecturer. Most people will attend lecture IF they know the lecturer is good. So...If you are a good lecturer, you are not going to have an empty classroom. Its that simple.

 

[FIREitUP]

I will admit that not all lecturers are created equal and there are the rare ones who put a lot of effort in and don't simply repeat the same exact ppt from the year before and simply just read from it.

It could be disrespectful if a prof puts legit effort in and barely anyone shows up. With that said if you can't learn even from a good lecturer then don't go

agreed. there are so few professors that actually give enough of a crap to put effort into their lectures. It's actually a pity, really.

 

[adaptation1]

Sad. I see all my professors working hard to prepare good, solid, detailed lectures, with some occasional humor interjected.

Yet the result is not so; and I learn nothing by attending. So while I appreciate the effort, I have to do what's best for me. 🙁

 

[Elbowstoopointy]

Why would it be disrepectful? .

Because the school told us it is disrespectful to not go and only use podcasts

 

[Kaustikos]

Because the school told us it is disrespectful to not go and only use podcasts

You're payting them.... That's all that maters. If they complalin, explicietly reference the fact that your'e not getting the best educaitno by attening lectures. You'r paying them* THAT'S THE IMPROTANT PART.

 

[Prodromo]

If the school offers streaming lectures then there is no reason for them to complain. Streaming is definitely my preferred method of watching lectures. I learn zero from attending.

 

[Isoprop]

When I was teaching, I never cared if students showed up for lecture--I got paid the same regardless of whether I was teaching one person or one thousand. And if people were whispering to their friends during class or otherwise disturbing other students who did want to hear the lecture, I would even tell them to leave. Now labs are another story; those were absolutely not optional, for obvious reasons. I think you can apply the same logic to medical school classes. Small groups and labs should never be skipped. Lectures can be skipped at your discretion.

+1

When I taught classes, my department required me to take attendance. I thought it was absolute B.S. If students think it's a waste of time to be in class, and they can learn the material at home from notes/books/podcasts/whatever, then I would encourage them to stay at home and not come to class.