How Many Hours A Day In Class?

[Tappy]

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How many hours a day in class were you in class as an M1? I just started and our schedule seems...different from what I've heard other people discussing. For starters, out of four classes only one of them is hard science. The others are a mix of statistical sciences, ethics, and clinical soft skills workshops. We have 25 hours a week of class, 15 of which are the hard science, mol cell bio material. However, only one hour a day is actual lecture and the other two or two and a half are worthless small group discussions and "class discussions".

I've always heard that M1's pretty much only take hard science classes, mol cell, anatomy, genetics, biochem, etc, and the rest of the soft skills stuff is very light. I'm a little worried that we are almost 50/50 hard science and fluff, and the time we do spend in molecular cell bio is 1/3 didactic. We also have a lot of small assignments, 2-3 page papers, reflection papers, etc. I feel like we might be getting the shaft when it comes to board prep and actual medical knowledge.

Am I worrying over nothing? Is it just a matter of adjusting to a new schedule and system of teaching? Does this seem weird to any of you former M1's?

EDIT: I should also say that this curriculum has not been tested before, other than receiving LCME approval.

 

[njbmd]

How many hours a day in class were you in class as an M1? I just started and our schedule seems...different from what I've heard other people discussing. For starters, out of four classes only one of them is hard science. The others are a mix of statistical sciences, ethics, and clinical soft skills workshops. We have 25 hours a week of class, 15 of which are the hard science, mol cell bio material. However, only one hour a day is actual lecture and the other two or two and a half are worthless small group discussions and "class discussions".

I've always heard that M1's pretty much only take hard science classes, mol cell, anatomy, genetics, biochem, etc, and the rest of the soft skills stuff is very light. I'm a little worried that we are almost 50/50 hard science and fluff, and the time we do spend in molecular cell bio is 1/3 didactic. We also have a lot of small assignments, 2-3 page papers, reflection papers, etc. I feel like we might be getting the shaft when it comes to board prep and actual medical knowledge.

Am I worrying over nothing? Is it just a matter of adjusting to a new schedule and system of teaching? Does this seem weird to any of you former M1's?

EDIT: I should also say that this curriculum has not been tested before, other than receiving LCME approval.

LCME does NOT approve curriculi that "has not been tested before". Chill out and get the work mastered. When board prep time comes around, you take care of reviewing then. Right now, your task is to master your coursework and not try to figure out whether the curriculum is adequate.

 

[Forthegood]

In general, I agree with anything NJBMD writes. And if there is a discrepency, I'd go with him.

 

[Tappy]

Thanks for the responses. I'll just go with the flow then. 🙂

I guess I'd thought M1 would be "biochemistry, anatomy, and genetics" from the get-go, not "Today we will learn how to be friends and guidance counselors, oh and don't forget to read this chapter about cell membranes".

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

In general, I agree with anything NJBMD writes. And if there is a discrepency, I'd go with him.

her.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

Also, OP, this is going to vary from school to school.

Some schools have morning classes, variable afternoon labs. Some schools you are in class 8-5 (or some variant). Some schools are PBL with a completely different approach than traditional lecture schools.

Echoing NJBMD, worry about mastering the material and not time in class 🙂

You'll be great!

 

[turkeyjerky]

Sounds like your school's curriculum sucks.

 

[psipsina]

I find that he beginnings of semesters seem heaviest on the non-hard-science stuff so the balance may well change in the coming months. I agree with everyone else that if your school is gettin a decent percentage thru the step the curriculum must be up to that task so I wouldn't waste much time fretting about it.

 

[a winner is you]

Zero

 

[halekulani]

i'm going to join the "don't go to class" club

it's pretty much some guy just reading all the text he typed onto the slide.

 

[Perrotfish]

I'm guessing your fluff is just frontloaded. Look ahead on your schedule, you probably start doing hard sciences soon, with the essay questions dropping by the wayside.

Honestly I like the sound of this system. Our school spaces the fluff out pretty much evenly over the first 2 years, and it tends to pop up and the most inconvenient times. I would have been a lot nicer to have done it all in the first few weeks/months when we were all trying to meet our classmates anyway, and then just be able to concentrate on the science classes rather than realizing that yet another 'personal development' essay is due three days before your exam.

 

[JC Denton]

Am I the only one going to an insane school? We have to endure 40 hours of classes a week, EVERY week. No exceptions.
Also, attendance is taken every period. A day's worth of unexcused absences (8 hours) = an automatic F. It's hilarious how much time is wasted on calling out the same names every hour, in an attempt to "catch the delinquents."

 

[Chemist0157]

We must spend about 30 hours in class.

 

[psipsina]

Am I the only one going to an insane school? We have to endure 40 hours of classes a week, EVERY week. No exceptions.
Also, attendance is taken every period. A day's worth of unexcused absences (8 hours) = an automatic F. It's hilarious how much time is wasted on calling out the same names every hour, in an attempt to "catch the delinquents."

The only school I saw on the interview trail with mandatory attendance had ID badge swipers as you came in to prove your attendance (with steep penalties if caught swiping someone elses card). I can't imagine taking verbal attendance every single class!?!

 

[penguin24]

Yeah, attendance should be optional. If the class is so impt that you can't pass w/o it, then let the absent ppl fail, then they'll come. Otherwise, no pt in punishing ppl from not going to a useless lecture.