Lecture based or independent studies?

[Extracheeze]

So I am coming towards the end of my 1st semester of my first year in med school. I now have a choice of switching back to the normal lecture based learning or stay in my current independent studies learning.
While I will still be having class time for certain classes, the majority of my science classes (like pharm, neuro, path, etc) I will have to teach myself based on a book of objectives that are given out.

So my question is, what do you feel is "better" in terms of education, preparation for the boards, and being prepared for rotations, lecture based or independent based learning?

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[HarryRosenMD]

Hi...

Its all just a matter of preference. There is no absolute best... as different subjects come across in variations - depending on factors such as instructor and interest in the subject matter.
I decided not to attend classes after first semester of first year. I was coming home in the early evening... being tired, and at times frustrated with poor lecture quality. Just feeling kind of stagnant in classes all day (including the intervening breaks) - and anxious to get home to read. Going completely independent was a frightening decision at first - having never done this before. But... after doing well on exams... I adopted it throughout my preclinical years - and loved it. I was able to read to my hearts content - creating my day as I went along.
Ultimately its your choice. There are definite things you miss by not going to class - such as perhaps certain ways of viewing things from those with experience. But overall... I wouldn't have changed a thing.
Hope that helps - and good luck!

 

[Extracheeze]

Being just an MS-1, I don't know if I will be missing out on thing crucial to my studies by going on the independent learning pathway. Will I be prepared for boards? Will I look like a fool during rotations? Will I be competent in the knowledge base required of me? Ack!

 

[Extracheeze]

ttt

 

[SnowyOwl]

THe choice is yours. I've been in lecture pathway at LECOM since day one. I am a second year now. It wasn't my first choice when I applied but now that I've been doing it and know how the other pathways work I wouldn't go back because I like to have various ways of learning and the regular testing schedule. It is whatever way you learn best. If you've been in lecture so far and it's worked, i.e. you get As and Bs and not hanging on by the skin of your teeth, then I would just continue with the LD pathway, besides, once you get into systems it's a whole new ballgame and for me, my grades went up. But if you are very self-disciplined and don't mind staying home often or studying in groups in independent study and you are have not a drop of procrastinator blood in you, then consider independent study. I would also check out the COMLEX grades of those in the different pathways and see if there is any real difference. Good luck!

 

[Slevin]

I'm in ISP @ LECOM right now OMS-I and I love it. I hate to say it but allot of us ISP people procrastinate the great thing is that I don't have to get up and go to class everyday I do my thing on my own time. Put in 8 hours of studying and I am done for the day. But it's not for everyone.

 

[jonb12997]

my personal feeling is there's no way I'm disciplined enough to teach myself the information. I definitely needed lecture and was one that went to most of them. Even if I was studying other stuff... errr... I mean surfing SDN... during lecture, I still tried to pay attention and pick up something.

 

[TUNCOM]

Ideally, a lecture based school that uploads their lectures online. So you can go at your own pace but have instructors teaching. I know such DO schools exist

 

[BCLumas]

Ideally, a lecture based school that uploads their lectures online. So you can go at your own pace but have instructors teaching. I know such DO schools exist

At such DO schools. They have grammar classes? Can they teach about punctuation;