For those that have done PBL style curriculums

[LilOrphanFourval]

What's your opinion on it? I hear that the biggest advantage is that you can focus completely on studying whichever way is most efficient for you, but I'll have to admit that the idea of doing everything on my own makes be a bit nervous. I've always preferred small group work, and I learn well teaching things to others, but because it's med school I'm definitely nervous.

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[Ioannes Paulus]

It does a good job with Step1 but you will be grossly unprepared for clinicals. Being taught be clinicians is different from being taught by a textbook.

 

[Shinken]

What's your opinion on it?

Depends on how the particular school approaches PBL-style learning.

At Ohio U., the now-defunct PCC track was a PBL-style curriculum. We were not "taught by a textbook" but by PhDs and MDs/DOs, and the curriculum was problem-based. For example, instead of learning physiology by sitting in a classroom listening to lectures, we would meet in small groups and have clinical cases ("problems") that we had to solve that would teach us concepts of physiology. Whatever gaps in our learning were closed by self-study supplemented by lectures if needed (we could request lectures if the topic was too difficult to learn by self-study).

Again, my experience is only with Ohio U. We were definitely well-prepared for clinicals as we could easily integrate all the basic sciences with real clinical cases (this is the strength of problem-based learning), and we had no problem with Steps 1 & 2.

My advice would be to investigate PBL-style curricula in the context of the particular school you're interested in instead of in general terms, as every school does it differently.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

It does a good job with Step1 but you will be grossly unprepared for clinicals. Being taught be clinicians is different from being taught by a textbook.

How? From my understanding of PBL, like that at LECOM, it really is just a streamlined way of learning and relies heavily on independent-minded students. I am not sure how I see sitting in lecture in an auditorium is more prone towards being prepared for clinicals. In fact, speaking with a DO I work with that studied at LECOM, he said that PBL prepared him more for clinicals than his MD counterparts that he also rotated with.

Ultimately, I just think PBL is a different, not necessarily better, way of teaching preclinical medicine and prepping for boards as well...

 

[salingercrumbs]

Does PBL in the small-group/case study setting mean there is more time required on campus? Or is it usually a pretty good balance between class time and self-study time? I know it will vary by program, but in general?

 

[LilOrphanFourval]

Depends on how the particular school approaches PBL-style learning.

At Ohio U., the now-defunct PCC track was a PBL-style curriculum. We were not "taught by a textbook" but by PhDs and MDs/DOs, and the curriculum was problem-based. For example, instead of learning physiology by sitting in a classroom listening to lectures, we would meet in small groups and have clinical cases ("problems") that we had to solve that would teach us concepts of physiology. Whatever gaps in our learning were closed by self-study supplemented by lectures if needed (we could request lectures if the topic was too difficult to learn by self-study).

Again, my experience is only with Ohio U. We were definitely well-prepared for clinicals as we could easily integrate all the basic sciences with real clinical cases (this is the strength of problem-based learning), and we had no problem with Steps 1 & 2.

My advice would be to investigate PBL-style curricula in the context of the particular school you're interested in instead of in general terms, as every school does it differently.

Thanks! The PBL program I'm looking at is RowanSOM's. They've been doing it for a long time so I know the system works, I just wanted other people's opinions.

 

[Shinken]

Thanks! The PBL program I'm looking at is RowanSOM's. They've been doing it for a long time so I know the system works, I just wanted other people's opinions.

Yes, it does work. If it didn't, the school wouldn't have PBL. Good luck and congratulations!

 

[hallowmann]

It does a good job with Step1 but you will be grossly unprepared for clinicals. Being taught be clinicians is different from being taught by a textbook.

If anything the PBLers at my school were really well prepared for clinicals because everything they did was problem based and clinically oriented. Also most of the PBL facilitators at my school were clinicians that regularly shared their clinical experiences in the cases. I'm not really sure where you're belief comes from.

I suspect that you are getting this idea from LECOM-B and you're incorrectly assuming that the cause of clinical trouble was the PBL curriculum and not the clinical skills course that woefully underprepared the last couple of classes. That ontop of their rotations, which I don't know much about honestly.

Does PBL in the small-group/case study setting mean there is more time required on campus? Or is it usually a pretty good balance between class time and self-study time? I know it will vary by program, but in general?

This really varies a LOT by program from ones that just tack on a "PBL" course ontop of an already full curriculum to a purely PBL-based curriculum that tends to minimize time in campus.

As others have said, it's just a different way of learning. It's not necessarily better or worse, but might be better or worse for certain individuals.