Im a first year in USC's PBL program and i'm having a great time! This style of learning I think is superior to the traditional format in efficiency. You spend less time at "school" but you learn more. This is because everything is centered around logic and being able to make connections between disciplines (histology, anatomy, physiology,etc.) is essential to succeeding in this curriculum. And since everything is related to a particular patient of yours and his ailment, everything you study has an immediate purpose making life in dental school a lot more meaningful. Clinic wise, we are starting scaling in the sim lab this month and drilling by mid May, and we'll be cleaning patients by june according to our schedule. We'll be doing restorations on patients by the end of 1st year, around August.
Of course with any program, their are problems and most them come from the school adjusting from a PBL class of 10-15 for the 1st four or five years to one of 144 students (next years incoming class will make it even more difficult). Another major problem is the animosity that exists between the traditional students and faculty vs. the new PBL staff and students. The way I see it, people don't want to change. They are comfortable in their old ways and don't want to change. Also, alot of traditional students and faculty just dont understand and know enough about PBL so hear small things here and there and they bad mouth it. They've never gone through the curriculum so how can they know whether it works or not? I have been in PBL for 1.5 semesters and I can HONESTLY say, I have learned more knowledge and improved my critical thinking skills more now than in 4 whole years of undergrad. Also, in undergrad I always used to be the person sitting in the back of a 400 person lecture hall and never got to know any professors cause I was lazy. Through PBL, one can't help but become close with all your faculty since you spend a good 10-15 hrs a week enclosed in a small little room with them and seven other students. You'll experience frustration, humility, teamwork, happiness, and sheer comedy with your faculty and peers. Anyways, its late and I have a lot more to say but I'll save it for another time. =)