lecture vs independent learning

[stevo23]

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hello all,

I had a question for all current DO students concerning daily school schedules, ie time spent in class vs. independent learning. I know some schools schedule more lecture time than others. While less class time sounds appealing to me, I have no idea how difficult or frustrating it is to teach yourself the medical school curriculum. Would some of you mind sharing what school you attend and what the daily schedule there may be? Also what are the pros and cons of that schedule? Do you feel you benefit by being in class less/more? Are the trade-offs of being in class less (more free time for gym/relaxation/non-med school activities) worth having to teach yourself? I realize that the quality of lectures do depend on the professor, and some topics are better suited to learn through lecture/lab. I've just always considered less class time as an advantage of a school, however it wouldn't make sense if it takes twice as long to learn a topic on your own that isn't fully covered in lecture. This would be very helpful to me as I further consider which schools to apply to. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome. Thanks so much and continued best of luck to you in your medical school endeavors.

Steve

 

[bgibney]

I attend NSU. We have a mandatory attendence policy that is monitored by swiping our ID cards before lecture. First year we had around 30-35 hours of class and lab activities. This year we have around 20-30 per week. I personally do not get anything out of lecture. Medical school is more about memorizing large volumes of material rather than understanding conceptually difficult material. I think that if you have a good grasp of basic science (which you should have coming into medical school), you can succeed by teaching yourself.

If I were you, I would figure out how you learn, and then make a decision based on that.

 

[Tubman]

I attend PCOM. Thus far I have attended approximately 1 lecture per month and I have had no problems getting excellent grades. For me, I get absolutely nothing out of lectures. In my case I would much rather read and figure out what is going on by myself rather than have a professor read off facts to me. I also cannot sit in a lecture hall for 6 hours straight per day. A big advantage at PCOM is that all the lectures are recorded in mp3 format and scribed, so you always have a way of finding out exactly what was said in class. When I was applying to schools I knew that could never attend a school with an attendance policy, as lecture format was never an optimal method for me to learn.

 

[stevo23]

Thanks for your input. I agree that I could not attend a school with an attendance policy. The only problem I have with not attending lectures is wondering what on earth I am paying for. I feel as though I would attend out of guilt to be sure I was getting my money's worth. Anyone else feel this way? I've heard from a few students that it takes a long time to read through the notes of what was said in lecture that day, so they just attend. However, It is nice to know that you have the flexibility to miss class if studying on your own is really a more efficient use of time. Thanks and feel free to continue posting.

Steve

 

[donvicious]

I go to COMP and we only have a few required classes such as OMM (4 hours/week), Essentials of Clinical Medicine (4 hours/week starting 2nd semester), and a few mandatory lectures/labs every now and then.

I rarely go to class because there is so much of it. We're in the middle of Neuroscience and we have class about 7-8 hours a day. Last semester wasn't so bad. Then we had about 5-6 hours a day.

 

[Chronotropic]

Yeah i skup pretty much any class i can. There are a few professors I really like and go to but the rest seems like a big waste of time.

 

[stevo23]

Yeah i skup pretty much any class i can. There are a few professors I really like and go to but the rest seems like a big waste of time.

chronotropic...where do you go to school?