Do you Attend Classes?

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Do you attend lectures?

  • Si

    Votes: 89 44.3%

  • No

    Votes: 112 55.7%
  • Total voters
    201
No. We usually have 3-4 hours of lecture a day. Video recordings of lecture are up within minutes of lecture ending, and we also have access to the powerpoints used in lecture. Not to mention that everything we need to know for exams is in our course packs.

Going to lecture is a huge time-sink. I usually watch the lectures at 1.5X-2X speed to review the material and see what points were emphasized after I've already taught everything to myself beforehand.

Now if I'm already at school and we have an MD coming in to give a clinical correlation lecture, then I'd probably be more inclined to attend.
 
i did for first semester of ms1.
then i realised we only have one lecturer who is even remotely decent, and whose lectures are actually worth attending. the rest are just doctors coming in from hospitals who aren't even ''teachers'' and just blow their trumpets for fifty minutes while skimming through a few slides.
second semester of ms1 i attended about 10% of lectures (the amount delivered by that one decent lecturer)

probably score a similar percentage again when ms2 begins.

lectures are just a waste of time.
 
I didn't go when I was a second year. Just listened to the recordings. However in hindsight I do think class is worthwhile to go to so long as you can sit and pay attention completely during all the lectures. They teach you essentially all you need to know.

But if you can't focus the entire time then doing the work on your own is probably more productive. That's what I thought at the time anyway.
 
officedepot said:
I didn't go when I was a second year. Just listened to the recordings. However in hindsight I do think class is worthwhile to go to so long as you can sit and pay attention completely during all the lectures. They teach you essentially all you need to know.

But if you can't focus the entire time then doing the work on your own is probably more productive. That's what I thought at the time anyway.
Click to expand...

Not when the professor goes "I might not talk about it in lecture but test questions are based on the objectives in your syllabus".

Then class becomes both a waste of time AND counterproductive.
 
I attend about 80% of the time to lectures cause attendance is mandatory 😡.

Only a few lecturers are worth going too, and soon my percentage will most likely decrease to about 50%.
 
I only go because it is required for our first block. After this there is no way I'm getting up early to make the drive in when I can stay at home and learn all I need to.
 
Lectures are recorded and transcribed...

I can read faster than I can listen to someone talk
 
Wow, just attended my first day of classes. What a waste of time! I feel like I wasted 4 hours on nonsense that I could have gone over in much more detail by myself. Anyone else feel the same way?
 
elftown said:
I attend every lecture because I hate listening to the recordings more than I hate being there.
Click to expand...

yeah. I don't like listening to recordings. I feel like I'm more likely to get distracted when listing to a recording on my computer than sitting in class.
 
Oh look, it's this thread again...:claps:

People think video taped lectures are why no one attends but the real reason is powerpoint...it allows profs to dump tons of semi-relevant BS into their notes, and lecture usually becomes nothing but clicking and reading and occasionally making tangential remarks. No one learns from that in real time. And if you learned it beforehand lecture is too slow to be a worthwhile reinforcement tool. The only valuable thing about lecture is the exam hints and note corrections they mention. And sitting through 6 hrs of badly made powerpoint just for that is insulting.
 
I always did so I could be done with the day by the time my wife got home at 5. Our class recordings usually posted on a 4-5 hour lag and I didn't want to start that late. I could've let myself just live one day behind, but why not just wake up and go to class?

Oh, and every med school has professors that suck, so, yeah, I skipped those classes. I went to all the rest though.
 
Frank Nutter said:
Oh look, it's this thread again...:claps:

People think video taped lectures are why no one attends but the real reason is powerpoint...it allows profs to dump tons of semi-relevant BS into their notes, and lecture usually becomes nothing but clicking and reading and occasionally making tangential remarks. No one learns from that in real time. And if you learned it beforehand lecture is too slow to be a worthwhile reinforcement tool. The only valuable thing about lecture is the exam hints and note corrections they mention. And sitting through 6 hrs of badly made powerpoint just for that is insulting.
Click to expand...

Wow...I 100% agree man.

Lecture is this:
-Professor spends 10 mins telling weird story or something non related
-Reads powerpoint word for word
-Personal story
-Kid asks pointless question
-Another kid asks a dumber question
-Gunner raises hand and spouts off random fact to look smart
-Continue reading powerpoint at snail pace
-90% of class is playing on facebook
-Go home and realize you dun goofed son
 
But sometimes their mellow voices really resonate with your inner being, and the medicine flows you through like you just opened a chakra gate.
 
Elbowstoopointy said:
Wow...I 100% agree man.

Lecture is this:
-Professor spends 10 mins telling weird story or something non related
-Reads powerpoint word for word
-Personal story
-Kid asks pointless question
-Another kid asks a dumber question
-Gunner raises hand and spouts off random fact to look smart
-Continue reading powerpoint at snail pace
-90% of class is playing on facebook
-Go home and realize you dun goofed son
Click to expand...

this
 
When I started the third year of medical school, a lot of my classmates thought I was a transfer student because they'd never seen me before.
 
The lectures have actually been fairly good so far for me, so I've been going to them all. The molecular bio professor just uses an old fashioned overhead projector, but he has a great sense of humor and explains the notes really well, so it's worth it.
 
Maxwell7301 said:
The lectures have actually been fairly good so far for me, so I've been going to them all. The molecular bio professor just uses an old fashioned overhead projector, but he has a great sense of humor and explains the notes really well, so it's worth it.
Click to expand...

hmm, i haven't really had the same experience with my teachers. I feel like they rush through the notes and don't even bother explaining big picture stuff at all. Waste of 4 hrs IMO. If the podcasts and transcripts were up for my year i wouldn't even bother going to lecture.
 
I think the better question is "at what point do you stop attending classes?" Some people it's right away, others make it through all of preclinical years.
 
I'm at the end of second week and I've only missed one lecture (by accidentally oversleeping) so far.

I would say about 90% of my class still attends, maybe more. I feel like this will dwindle as time goes on.

I am beginning to consider selectively attending classes as well, not because I hate lecture, but because its just exhausting to be in class 8-4. Then spend an hour in the lab going over structures, and then staying in the library for 3-4 hours trying to keep up.

I do think I'll keep going to histo though. Our professor is awesome and really knows his stuff.
 
normtheniner said:
I'm at the end of second week and I've only missed one lecture (by accidentally oversleeping) so far.

I would say about 90% of my class still attends, maybe more. I feel like this will dwindle as time goes on.

I am beginning to consider selectively attending classes as well, not because I hate lecture, but because its just exhausting to be in class 8-4. Then spend an hour in the lab going over structures, and then staying in the library for 3-4 hours trying to keep up.

I do think I'll keep going to histo though. Our professor is awesome and really knows his stuff.
Click to expand...

wow, 8-4, we have it 10-3 and i'm tired as well. I also try to study as if I'm taking the test the next day also. Haven't gone through histo yet, but I'm hoping the teachers get better (so far it's meh).
 
Elbowstoopointy said:
Wow...I 100% agree man.

Lecture is this:
-Professor spends 10 mins telling weird story or something non related
-Reads powerpoint word for word
-Personal story
-Kid asks pointless question
-Another kid asks a dumber question
-Gunner raises hand and spouts off random fact to look smart
-Continue reading powerpoint at snail pace
-90% of class is playing on facebook
-Go home and realize you dun goofed son
Click to expand...

Sounds about right to me! :laugh:
 
Elbowstoopointy said:
Wow...I 100% agree man.

Lecture is this:
-Professor spends 10 mins telling weird story or something non related
-Reads powerpoint word for word
-Personal story
-Kid asks pointless question
-Another kid asks a dumber question
-Gunner raises hand and spouts off random fact to look smart
-Continue reading powerpoint at snail pace
-90% of class is playing on facebook
-Go home and realize you dun goofed son
Click to expand...

Wow, you seriously just captured lecture with 100% accuracy.
 
No i can't pay attention is class, and also I am not a morning person. I do all the random **** i have to do in the morning, like laundry, grocery shopping, when i have to do that, or relax, play games, workout or sleep in. I start studying at around 1 or 2, when the brain is properly warmed up and go from there.
 
1. Wake up at 7am like all my classmates but study instead of going to lecture
2. Hit on all of the dental/pharm/nursing/PT/OT/undergrad students with all my free time
3. ????
4. Profit.
 
i attend n sleep in lectures. sigh..i dont even know if it's worth for me to get up at 6am everyday to go there and sleep. but again, all i want to get from lectures is exam tips
frown.gif

maybe i'll try skipping next time
 
I do, but mainly because I feel intensely guilty if I don't go, not because I actually get anything out of it. I use the time to catch up on Facebook/emails/Cracked.com
 
I've been attending more since this year has started. Hardly ever did last year. It feels a little isolating to just be plugged in at Starbucks, and we have mandatory labs/precepting sessions almost every afternoon so I have to be at school anyway. But I think I'm about to stop because going to lectures leaves less time for studying, and I focus better at 2x than 1x. Less time for the mind to wander.
 
lisi326 said:
I do, but mainly because I feel intensely guilty if I don't go, not because I actually get anything out of it. I use the time to catch up on Facebook/emails/Cracked.com
Click to expand...


Guilt of not going to lecture was the biggest thing holding me back. Especially coming from a small college and grad school (prof: "thornwalker why weren't you in class yesterday? me: uhh)

But, you have to realize 1) these phD's don't really care who you are/ won't be writing you any letters of rec like in undergrad 2) you will feel a lot better about everything when you have time to get a thorough understanding + have some free time
 
Thornwalker said:
Guilt of not going to lecture was the biggest thing holding me back. Especially coming from a small college and grad school (prof: "thornwalker why weren't you in class yesterday? me: uhh)

But, you have to realize 1) these phD's don't really care who you are/ won't be writing you any letters of rec like in undergrad 2) you will feel a lot better about everything when you have time to get a thorough understanding + have some free time
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I am. I just finished my Master degree with a 47 person class & mandatory attendance - everyone knew your business. So not going to class makes me feel like I'm committing some terrible sin, even if I know no one cares and not going would be far more productive than going and wasting my time/killing my back in the incredibly uncomfortable seats. *sigh* I need to work through my guilt complex. Maybe I'll start with just skipping Biochem next week.
 
yes.

although I honored all my systems (minus renal ugh) and did well on my boards, I would not attribute it to attending lecture. My school's GI system, for example, uses course material from another medical college.

I would suggest going to lecture for the basic sciences but once systems comes into play, it's not worth it.
 
Wait so are you guys saying that in Med School you don't even have to attend classes or just the lectures? That they will be up online and you already have the info that you need to know available to you beforehand? That is awesome...
 
hs2013 said:
Wait so are you guys saying that in Med School you don't even have to attend classes or just the lectures? That they will be up online and you already have the info that you need to know available to you beforehand? That is awesome...
Click to expand...

In fact, if I gave you my login and password now to the lectures website, you could pass Step 1 in two years!
 
Elbowstoopointy said:
Wow...I 100% agree man.

Lecture is this:
-Professor spends 10 mins telling weird story or something non related
-Reads powerpoint word for word
-Personal story
-Kid asks pointless question
-Another kid asks a dumber question
-Gunner raises hand and spouts off random fact to look smart
-Continue reading powerpoint at snail pace
-90% of class is playing on facebook
-Go home and realize you dun goofed son
Click to expand...

👍

Z0kki.jpg
 
I understand that some people learn differently, but as someone who attends class I can attest to the fact that professors drop a lot of exam tips and pearls that help in the long run.
 
I don't really have a choice, our lectures aren't mandatory but we have mandatory "active learning" (code for lecture with a few clicker questions) after class and unless you are there around 7:30am you can forget about parking.

I only have class three days a week. I can't imagine being in class 8-5 M-F and then trying to learn on my own. My lectures have all been decent so far, they do a great job of sticking to stuff we actually need to know for exams and throw in cool clinical stuff every once in a while.
 
After my first semester in Med school it became more and more apparent that lecture is a complete waste of my time. I get more work done on my own with powerpoint and recordings than I would have EVER listening to professors amuse themselves with how smart they are. Bottom line is everybody is different. Lectures don't work for me.
 
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