Im pretty good at learning on my own, but how does the faculty assure that we aren't studying the "WRONG" thing(s)? Accepted at both, but ISP at Erie.?
PBL is good in a number of ways. First, it's based on actual cases. You start slow because of Anatomy/Histo/Embry being taught for the first 10 weeks, but halfway through the first sememster you've learned to read CBC's, ABG's, and a host of other tests, as well as you already know the normal values by heart. You've been exposed to ECG's, CT's and a host of other scans. You've been through several cases, ordered tests, read them, ordered more, diagnosed your case, and planned treatment. Along the way, you've taken your own time to go in depth learning the basic sciences as they pertain to actual medical cases. In effect, you're also preparing yourself for third year in a way that lecture and independent study could never do. You can read the stuff all you want, but you don't get good at it until you have to sit down and practice it.
Second, you're forced to work as a team to reach your goals. There will be some people you will like and others that you won't like, but you have to learn to set aside those differences and work as a team-- just like in the real world. If you're a bit timid to start with, don't worry because the facilitator will put you on the spot enough that you'll come out of it. If you're a little overbearing, then you'll be told to sit back and help the others, because it's all about the team when you are in the PBL room. That team is also the group that will pick your learning issues for each case. Those issues are what you will be tested on. You're given a certain amount of guidance at the beginning in how to pick your issues, but the facilitator will not help you in that. In the beginning, though, you'll be given a little help if you are off track. The idea is to teach your group how to pull the most relevant issues out of the case, but if your group isn't doing that very well, you can expect an e-mail from Dr. Coty that says, "You might want to rethink this a little." You'll be given guidance, but really only after you are looking down the wrong path.
The first class wasn't as lucky, but from now on the last four weeks of your 2nd year is taking Kaplan's review. The school has changed several things since they opened, but for the better. In fact, quite a few of the changes are things that have been suggested by students. The administration tends to take what the students say pretty seriously. They really do want you to succeed. Those students who didn't do well on COMLEX are in Bradenton now doing remediation. Part of that process is learning what areas they did poorly in and why, so that future students won't have the same problems.
One other note-- my class is the first one to do it, but they are now adding some additional chapters of reading for each PBL test. For the test a week from Monday, for instance, we are responsible for three chapters of biochem in addition to our chosen topics. For the next test, we have four chapters of pathology to study in addition to our chosen topics.
Did someone mention the weather difference? The HIGH temperatures in Erie for F, S, and Su will be 47, 54, and 51 degrees, with 2 days of rain. In Bradenton it'll be 89, 88, and 87, and sunny. If you don't like warm weather and beaches in the fall, you might want to pick Erie. If you want snow at Christmas, don't come to Bradenton because people will still be wearing bikinis at the beach.
There's quite a lot to do in the area. The immediate metropolitan area is about 675,000, but including Tampa there's about 3.3 million people. There's lots to do. On friday a busload of students will be going to Halloween Horror Nights at Universtal in Orlando. There's lots of major and minor league sports around. There's bars and comedy clubs and a host of entertainment nearby-- not that you'll actually have all that much time to enjoy your life since you are a med student
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On the negative side, the area is growing incredibly...so, there is a major traffic problem at certain times of the day. But, they say the road construction will be finished soon
🙄 The cost of living is higher than in Erie, but you can live pretty well on the budget they give you. It's doubtful that you'll be able to afford to buy a house, though, unless you are willing to drive a pretty good way to school.
