- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
- Messages
- 2,653
- Reaction score
- 0
Just wanted to give some info in response to a PM I got about Drexel's PIL program. I am a 1st year there and am incredibly happy with the program.
I actually started off in the IFM program for 3 days and was miserable. I felt isolated and bored sitting in lectures all day. I know that I wouldn't be as happy in med school if I hadn't switched to PIL. Our group of 45 MS1's is a wonderful community. We meet 3 times a week with our small groups (about 7 people per group) and go through a case that was designed very specifically to bring out the things we need to learn. We learn how to generate hypothesis (essentially differential diagnosis) from day one, learn drugs, social issues, lab values, etc. and everything is integrated into the case that we are working on for 1-2 days. We know exactly what to study because, for instance, if we are in our "anatomy block", we know that we have to learn the anatomy that was brought out in the case. Also, we have a facilitator with our group (a faculty member, either MD or PhD) who makes sure we are on track with our "learning issues", raises questions that we should be thinking about, and tests our understanding. Then we split up what we need to learn, and we go read about it in the suggested textbooks and go to a lecture on the material (we always have a lecture on everything). We then come back together with our group and discuss our learning issues, "teach" each other, do made up quizzes, games...basically however the group wants to go over the material. So not only do we have lectures on the material, but we have to take more ownership for our learning because we are part of a dynamic group that is going to talk about the stuff we are learning. It just reinforces the material that much more. Not to mention all the other stuff we are being exposed to from day one, like drugs, lab values, differentials, and learning to work with lots of different people (we switch groups/facilitators every 10 weeks).
I've been so incredibly happy with Drexel and the PIL program and love the interactive way that I am learning. I feel really lucky and I've honored both my blocks so far .
Just keep in mind that everyone learns differently and you have to figure out what aspects of med school will make you the happiest. Hope that helps and feel free to PM me.
I actually started off in the IFM program for 3 days and was miserable. I felt isolated and bored sitting in lectures all day. I know that I wouldn't be as happy in med school if I hadn't switched to PIL. Our group of 45 MS1's is a wonderful community. We meet 3 times a week with our small groups (about 7 people per group) and go through a case that was designed very specifically to bring out the things we need to learn. We learn how to generate hypothesis (essentially differential diagnosis) from day one, learn drugs, social issues, lab values, etc. and everything is integrated into the case that we are working on for 1-2 days. We know exactly what to study because, for instance, if we are in our "anatomy block", we know that we have to learn the anatomy that was brought out in the case. Also, we have a facilitator with our group (a faculty member, either MD or PhD) who makes sure we are on track with our "learning issues", raises questions that we should be thinking about, and tests our understanding. Then we split up what we need to learn, and we go read about it in the suggested textbooks and go to a lecture on the material (we always have a lecture on everything). We then come back together with our group and discuss our learning issues, "teach" each other, do made up quizzes, games...basically however the group wants to go over the material. So not only do we have lectures on the material, but we have to take more ownership for our learning because we are part of a dynamic group that is going to talk about the stuff we are learning. It just reinforces the material that much more. Not to mention all the other stuff we are being exposed to from day one, like drugs, lab values, differentials, and learning to work with lots of different people (we switch groups/facilitators every 10 weeks).
I've been so incredibly happy with Drexel and the PIL program and love the interactive way that I am learning. I feel really lucky and I've honored both my blocks so far .
Just keep in mind that everyone learns differently and you have to figure out what aspects of med school will make you the happiest. Hope that helps and feel free to PM me.