great researchers and terrible lecturers

[Bad Mojo]

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My school has a large research focus and is, naturally, very proud of their high profile researchers (Nobel prizes, National Academy of the Sciences). That's all well and great, but it seems like the school tries to impress us with these folk as our lecturers. We end up with brilliant researchers who are terrible at lecturing. Has this happened to anyone else? I'd be happier with a better lecturer who perhaps is not quite so highly decorated.

 

[lilmo]

faculty are no longer rewarding for their teaching, but for the money they bring in to the university in the form of grants. totally sucks. i've also heard that my school is moving towards a more self-study directed curriculum. pretty soon, we won't even have to go to school at all..........

 

[SaltySqueegee]

pretty soon, we won't even have to go to school at all..........

SGU???

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Just kidding... But I do understand, and this was one of the factors in what school I picked.

 

[mctarhee1]

That is one of the reasons I chose to go to ECU...the professors here are great, and love to teach. They are enthusiastic and enjoy watching the students learn. I went to undergrad at UNC, and from that experience, I knew I didn't want to go back there for medical school...the professors there were mostly into research (with the exception of a few good ones).

 

[16846]

I have definetly experienced the same phenom. We had a visiting PhD from Cambridge University that is world famous for her research in neuro-pathology. We were all very excited to have her for Sys. Pathology, until she started to lecture. I have no doubt that she is a brillant researcher, but I don't think she could teach if her very life depended on it. We also had a PhD from Yale for our Neurosciences class, a very accomplished researcher, that couldn't provide a thoughtful lecture if it prevented him from bursting into flames right in front of our class.

I have definelty learned in med. school that Famous Research does not = Excellent Professor. To all the wannabe professors out there, keep your day jobs, and leave the lecturing/teaching to those who can. 👍

 

[skiz knot]

To all the wannabe professors out there, keep your day jobs, and leave the lecturing/teaching to those who can. 👍

I can pretty much say for a fact that the ****ty teachers at a research university don't "want" to be there teaching. The only reason they do is because they are required to. Same goes for undergrad. It takes a lot of time and effort to put together well thought out lectures. Time that could be better spent, oh, I don't know, writing a grant, or working on a problem in their lab.

School's hire these people for the reason stated before, they bring in the bucks, allowing your prestigious university to continue to call itself a prestigious university.

 

[Adcadet]

I too am at a school with a significant research focus, which can be taken to extremes.

Do what I do - find the excellent teachers who obviously love teaching, and spend way more hours teaching than they have to, and nominate them for every teaching award, prof of the year, etc award. And then when they come up for tenure, write them a great letter and hope their Dept. recognizes the importance of teaching. Last year I went 1 for 2 on the award part, and this instructor is now getting tenure (not that I was responsible for this, but I'm sure my letter helped a little). Chalk up one win for the good guys. This year I hope to do the same. And next year. It's kindof like voting - unless you do your small part, you can't complain too much.

 

[supercut]

Welcome to academia.

I went to a med school that doesn't have a great research focus. Still most of the preclinical years were taught by PhD who couldn't teach. In fact, sort of an informal punishment for not being productive enough in the lab was an increase in the number of lectures they had to give to the poor med students.

You'll have to decide for yourself if it is worth your time to go to class. If I had to do it over again, I would have spent a lot less time in class and spent that time memorizing the trivia in the handouts. We were always tested on the trivia. My grades would have been better that way.

BUt thousands have been through what you are going through, and you will make it too. BY the time you are a resident, it will be a distant memory.

 

[MissionComplete]

My school has a large research focus and is, naturally, very proud of their high profile researchers (Nobel prizes, National Academy of the Sciences). That's all well and great, but it seems like the school tries to impress us with these folk as our lecturers. We end up with brilliant researchers who are terrible at lecturing. Has this happened to anyone else? I'd be happier with a better lecturer who perhaps is not quite so highly decorated.

So you're in my class?

 

[lattimer13]

i wish my micro professors would read this thread. worst of any professors in undergrad or med school.