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Feelings on Systems based learning?
- Thread starter PharmaTope
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Most people I've asked about it have said that in some ways it makes things easier in terms of studying. One attending I know told me that "at least when it's broken down into individual systems, it's easier to pick a place to START studying and thus digest the material your responsible for."
I don't know if he's right, but I guess I'll find out in about a month's time.
I don't know if he's right, but I guess I'll find out in about a month's time.
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I like it. Second year isn't any harder than first year just different systems.
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so do you guys combine
pathology, anatomy, biochem, pharmacology, diagnostics, microbio, everything into one class? that seems really different and seems like it might be worse than non-systems based.
Our curriculum is systems based and I like it. It seems easier to "connect the dots" based on the way we are being taught, but I have nothing to compare to besides FUN 1 and 2 which are similar to non-system based (i think).
Anyways, a typical module is set up so that we have anatomy and phys the first two weeks followed by pathophys for the last 3 weeks. Most of the micro, biochem, pharm, ect is included in the pathophys section. For ex, in the cardio module we would have lectures on pathophys of CHF, then diagnosis, then treatment of CHF, and then move on to the next topic.
Anyways, a typical module is set up so that we have anatomy and phys the first two weeks followed by pathophys for the last 3 weeks. Most of the micro, biochem, pharm, ect is included in the pathophys section. For ex, in the cardio module we would have lectures on pathophys of CHF, then diagnosis, then treatment of CHF, and then move on to the next topic.
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Schools which describe their curriculum as systems based may mean a variety of things. I think it's more common to combine anatomy, physiology, embryo, biochem, histo, etc for each system during M1 but still leave path and pharm for M2.
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95% of the schools that I'll be applying to will be systems based. Taking on one thing and honing in on that particular area for several week is more my style.
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No. Systems based learning means that you learn different subjects related to a given organ system at the same time. For example, rather than doing gross anatomy in 2 months at the beginning of the year, you might do it over the course of the entire first year, concentrating on the thorax when you study cardiac and respiratory systems in physio, embryo, histo, intro to clinical medicine, etc.
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System based is the way to approach the material (organized by system and integrating anatomy and physiology and histology etc ). Otherwise, each department would do their own thing and you'd be learning the anatomy of the cardiovascular system concurrent with the physiology of the genito-urinary system and the histology of the endocrine glands.
Problem Based Learning is a technique for teaching the material. A problem (most often a story about a person with an illness) is used to identify "learning issues" that the group needs to know in more depth in order to understand the problem. After doing "self-directed learning" to get some answers and sharing those answers with other members of the group, more information is revealed about the problem and the process is repeated until a conclusion can be drawn about the case. It would appear to be a good fit with system based approach as you might have a woman with chest pain and shortness of breath while you are doing the cardio-pulmonary system and you will use the problem based learning to understand the practical implications of the basic science material. Some people feel that doing their own research to find out information and gathering other information from presentations by classmates is not the most efficient way of learning but faculty/administration seem to love it despite the large amount of resources (classroom space, group leaders, etc) that it requires. I don't know if there has been any correlation between PBL and retention of the material covered. It may be that faculty love it because, in the end, students taught in this manner do better on the boards and on the wards.
The idea is that as a life long learner you'll be doing lit searches, etc when faced with a new medical problem or when considering a new diagnostic test or treatment.
Problem Based Learning is a technique for teaching the material. A problem (most often a story about a person with an illness) is used to identify "learning issues" that the group needs to know in more depth in order to understand the problem. After doing "self-directed learning" to get some answers and sharing those answers with other members of the group, more information is revealed about the problem and the process is repeated until a conclusion can be drawn about the case. It would appear to be a good fit with system based approach as you might have a woman with chest pain and shortness of breath while you are doing the cardio-pulmonary system and you will use the problem based learning to understand the practical implications of the basic science material. Some people feel that doing their own research to find out information and gathering other information from presentations by classmates is not the most efficient way of learning but faculty/administration seem to love it despite the large amount of resources (classroom space, group leaders, etc) that it requires. I don't know if there has been any correlation between PBL and retention of the material covered. It may be that faculty love it because, in the end, students taught in this manner do better on the boards and on the wards.
The idea is that as a life long learner you'll be doing lit searches, etc when faced with a new medical problem or when considering a new diagnostic test or treatment.
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Systems based and small group is my preferred way of learning.
