+/- of PBL??

[jdoc04]

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For those of you who attend schools that use the PBL system what is your take? Pros & Cons...

Thanks!!

 

[utahdent123]

It seriously takes a lot of work. The thing I find most frustrating about PBL is the uncertainity of your focus. It's impossible to grasp every component of the topic, and not knowing what is the most important is difficult to determine. You never really know if you are learning what you need to know. I go to Case and it's hybrid, so fortunately we have lectures that kind of direct the PBL. The lectures are not always lined up with the PBL so you find out later where you should have focused.

 

[briansle]

For those of you who attend schools that use the PBL system what is your take? Pros & Cons...

Thanks!!

I like the way PBL forces you to think. The type of person who would enjoy PBL is the type of person who likes to look things up whenever they don't know something. If forces you to be constantly curious. That kid in your class who used to read "Encyclopedia Brown" would like PBL.

It's actually quite fun to find the answers yourself instead of having the answers right in-front of you. For some reason, the big picture seems to stick better in a case-based approached.

The bad part is there could be gaps in your knowledge. That's the reason why lectures are still the popular method of choice. The professors will give you the answers and make sure everything important is covered. You will have a strong foundation.

As the NBDE Part I approaches, I'm not quite sure how well PBL has prepared me. PBL is good for big picture stuff, but not minute details. Which I think is the opposite case for lectures. You get so bogged down in details that you don't see the big picture. As for the boards, there are so many minute details, it feels like I'm starting at square one. Whether or not PBL is effective, I guess will depend on how well I do on the boards.