Mandatory PBL + Grade

[Ironheme]

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So quick question for you guys. I've been studying rather than going to class, as most of the classes I did go to were a waste of time. One class has a discussion section which is PBL based. The grade for this class is supposedly 35% midterm, 65% final. They're supposed to post the cases ahead of time, but they haven't so far and our knowledge base is pretty limited.

However, the tutor for my discussion section told me know that the sections "need" to be attended and "indirectly affect" my grade. He made it a BIG deal, though how can this affect my grade if 100% is based on tests? Can they drop you a grade for not going to these "highly encouraged" discussion sections? We got a spiel on how unprofessional it was not to go...but I'm paying money for people not to waste my time... As enlightening as it is for all of us to sit around and go 'sounds like a heart attack' or 'sounds like lung problems,' I'd rather be studying...

 

[Isoprop]

Maybe it's mandatory. Go ask your dean.

 

[Ironheme]

Maybe it's mandatory. Go ask your dean.

I should add that on the first day the course director said they weren't mandatory but it would be 'unprofessional' if we didn't go. He also said he wasn't going to take attendance, but I guess the tutor for our section decided to.

Ya I guess you're right I should ask, just hate to bother the dean with such a small issue. Especially since the admin takes the stance that you should attend every class. Thanks for the response.

 

[qmcat]

Well I dunno how your school works, but at my school the students who skipped PBL ended up with "incompletes" on their transcript instead of a "pass" or "honors", even though the PBL doesn't count for any % in the grade. I think they had to do a makeup assignment or something to erase that incomplete.

 

[FIREitUP]

when will the see that TBL/PBL/CBL is super lame?

 

[RadicalRadon]

when will the see that TBL/PBL/CBL is super lame?

Apparently never. One "top five" school just changed its curriculum to 100% TBL...

 

[Isoprop]

when will the see that TBL/PBL/CBL is super lame?

When the literature shows that its ineffective.

 

[PSurg530]

Why did you go to a school where PBL was a big part of the curriculum? If it's just this one class, then you can probably suck it up for a few hours per week.

Perhaps the fact that it's unprofessional should be a bigger concern than the grade?

 

[MagicalTrevor]

Why did you go to a school where PBL was a big part of the curriculum? If it's just this one class, then you can probably suck it up for a few hours per week.

Perhaps the fact that it's unprofessional should be a bigger concern than the grade?

Saying **** is "unprofessional" is a bunch of bull****. It's just trying to squeeze more blood from the stone. You could stay at the hospital for 20 hours straight then go home and I'm sure some idiot would drop an "unprofessional" eventually. I'm in medical school to learn how to become a good doctor and enjoy some small subsection of my free time, not make some course director feel warm and fuzzy when he sleeps at night because everyone attends his bull**** lectures and small group sessions.