Lecom-Bradenton Students! How do you like the PBL curriculum?

[shadyjar]

Hi, I recently interviewed and was accepted to LECOM-B and I really liked the school. I was just wondering, from a student's perspective, how do you like the PBL program at your school? What is a typical session like? How are exams given? Thanks. Also, if you think there is anything else I need to know about the school I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks.

shadyjar

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[(nicedream)]

Hi, I recently interviewed and was accepted to LECOM-B and I really liked the school. I was just wondering, from a student's perspective, how do you like the PBL program at your school? What is a typical session like? How are exams given? Thanks. Also, if you think there is anything else I need to know about the school I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks.

shadyjar

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=229159

 

[DRSTEPHI27]

Hey, im a pbler from lecom-erie. im now a 3rd year but i have to say that for me there was no better way to learn ....and no better way to have somewhat of a life 1st and 2nd year. Trust me...u will be so thankful you picked a pbl program. plus, i know Dr. Krueger who strarted the program down in Fl....he is so awesome. Along with a lot of other profs there. Consider yourself very lucky! If you have any specific questions id be happy to answer. Good luck.

 

[sddoc]

I'm an MS 4 PBL student from Erie. PBL was without a doubt the best thing about medical school... as long as you are able to direct your study habits. I have to agree with Dr. Steph... Dr. Krueger is a wonderful advocate for his students. You would be lucky to be in his program. If you have any specific questions about PBL, I'd be happy to answer them.


Good luck

 

[Xanderain]

I'm an MS 4 PBL student from Erie. PBL was without a doubt the best thing about medical school... as long as you are able to direct your study habits. I have to agree with Dr. Steph... Dr. Krueger is a wonderful advocate for his students. You would be lucky to be in his program. If you have any specific questions about PBL, I'd be happy to answer them.


Good luck

PBL in Erie and PBL is Bradenton are two very different beasts. Overall, I like PBL down here, but there are many bad things too. Proofreading on the cases sucks, yet they have all the time in the world to do it. Conflicting messages from the administration (especially Krueger). He is not the student's advocate anymore. He is just another administrator. I don't erven listen to what he has to say anymore - because he will either get me riled up, or he'll contradict himself a day later. He's even called us lazy. Honestly, if you can deal with the annoyances and piddly crap, its not that bad a school, nor is PBL a bad concept. It all depends on your facillitator too. Dr. Moradi - awesome. Dr, Gilinski - terrible (but a nice guy).

 

[(nicedream)]

PBL in Erie and PBL is Bradenton are two very different beasts. Overall, I like PBL down here, but there are many bad things too. Proofreading on the cases sucks, yet they have all the time in the world to do it. Conflicting messages from the administration (especially Krueger). He is not the student's advocate anymore. He is just another administrator. I don't erven listen to what he has to say anymore - because he will either get me riled up, or he'll contradict himself a day later. He's even called us lazy. Honestly, if you can deal with the annoyances and piddly crap, its not that bad a school, nor is PBL a bad concept. It all depends on your facillitator too. Dr. Moradi - awesome. Dr, Gilinski - terrible (but a nice guy).

I gotta disagree with you. I think Krueger is still an advocate. I also think the value of PBL is not lost when there are bad facilitators. It can certainly effect your PBL experience, and make for more/less enjoyable sessions, but in the end we are doing the same cases and learning the same material regardless.

 

[Xanderain]

You are right, bad/good facilitators don't really change anything, but its the fringe benefits of PBL that you lose out on - for example - at a little get together with the Bentzes, I learned more about clinical medicine in that couple of hours than I have all semester in PBL. But we should be able to weed out or improve the bad ones.

 

[kota315]

Greetings,

I am an OMS I here in Bradenton, and I have to be honest, I love this program. Yes it is a lot of work, yes they expect a lot out of you, yes you have to invest a ton of time reading. PBL is exciting and offers the clinical aspect to learning otherwise difficult material. This is a new school with some minor new school problems, but the big thing here is you are responsible for your own education. If you don't feel as though you will be able to be self directed and responsible for your own education, then you probably won't do well here. They won't hold you hand....they are supportive and offer all the help you can possibly need, but they won't do the job for you. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the school....fire me a note and I will respond.

M-

 

[Non-Trad DO]

Xanderain,
As an MSIV product of LECOM Erie's PBL I have to say that I don't regret a minute of what happened in my PBL program (by far the good outweigh the bad). Honestly, If your F'in' it up Krueger will let you know about it. In the long run this is what will happen to you on your clinical rotations. The first two years are for learning the basic sciences and getting a "taste" of clinical medicine. If you liked a certain clinical moment then that is fantastic and you'll probably do well on clinicals but your going to have to get used to mixed or even crossed signals. This is how people communicate in general. Things get crossed. Things get mixed etc..
Now that I've done PBL I can't imagine another way to do it.

 

[drjds]

Can you give me some examples of a day or week of PBL coursework?

Greetings,

I am an OMS I here in Bradenton, and I have to be honest, I love this program. Yes it is a lot of work, yes they expect a lot out of you, yes you have to invest a ton of time reading. PBL is exciting and offers the clinical aspect to learning otherwise difficult material. This is a new school with some minor new school problems, but the big thing here is you are responsible for your own education. If you don't feel as though you will be able to be self directed and responsible for your own education, then you probably won't do well here. They won't hold you hand....they are supportive and offer all the help you can possibly need, but they won't do the job for you. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the school....fire me a note and I will respond.

M-

 

[Non-Trad DO]

OK, maybe some from the Bradenton campus might be able to help you better but I can run down a week on the Erie campus. After the first 12 weeks of anatomy (gross,embryo and Histo) and brief intro to other basic sciences (pharm,Path etc) its on to group (the meat of any PBL Pathway approx. 80% of your med school experience).
For ms1 we met 3X's per week at least and 2x's/wk in ms2. This could very if everybody in the group was accepting to this as well as the preceptor for that segment (preceptors changed after every exam). There is no rule about meeting w/o the preceptor though. This can get hairy sometimes if there are no clinical people in your group (ex-nurse, ex-med tech etc.) even then these individuals don't have all the information that may be needed particularly when it comes to PE (physical exam) findings or Hx (history) taking. In any event the preceptor will be the only one with the chart information.
MONDAY: group meeting 0900-1100,
0900: (morning report style) Preceptor gives patient age,ethnic origin,sex. Group begins to ask HPI (Hx of present illness) questions. Then moves on to patient Hx, PE, creates, a DDx (differential diagnosis), orders diagnostics, arrives at a final diagnosis, determins proper Tx (treatment) and lastly generates learning objectives which in ms1 are attempted to stick with the basic sciences and become more clinically oriented in ms2.
TUESDAY: Whatever (study)
WDENESDAY: OMM 1300-1400 ms1's or 0800-0900 ms2's, OMM LAB 1400-1530 or 1530-1700 ms1, or for ms2's 0900-1030 or 1030-1200. Since we were at school anyway we ususally tried to schedule group at some point.
THURSDAY: Group was attempted to be schedules at some point during this day also since Physical Examination class was on this day. Once in a while we would have to be at a hospital (to shadow or learn to start IV's or draw blood etc.) for physical exam so scheduling conflicts would arise on occasion b/c of the availability of times at the hospital. So essentially the group needs to work together or learn to work together.
FRIDAY: Whatever. (study)
SATURDAY: Whatever (study)
SUNDAY: Whatever (study)
Once all of the cases have been completed for the next exam (usually 5) all of your time is your time to do whatever you see fit. I suggest some studying and some of whatever else it is that you do.
There were a few times some friends of mine and I managed to get groups scheduled around some trips to Florida and other events. Of course the school wasn't informed of this but we never missed any requied classes (OMM, OMM LAB or PE) or groups.