PBL improve Board scores

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There are only two US dental school that I'm aware of that are completely 100% PBL based curriculum and those are USC and Indiana.

I guess to really answer your question it would be to see where those two dental schools rank amongst with other dental schools on the NBDE Part 1 scores. Since we have no access to that information (since it's sacred), we will never know.

There is, however, something to say about PBL. More and more dental schools are integrating PBL into their curriculum. Heck, afterall, even the NBDE Part 1 format is moving in that direction (case and patient based). I've experienced PBL at Midwestern University College of Osteopathic Medicine two years ago in the basic science courses (Biochem and Physio), I must say, it is a unique and effective way to learn the materials.

With that said, please do not look at one set of NBDE Part 1 board scores from a USC dental student and automatically assume that PBL is the way to go. Everyone is different, it may work well with one person, but it may not work so well with the other. Yellowman studied hard for the NBDE Part 1 and that is why he did so well.
 
UConn has PBL in its curriculum partly. they have ranked #1 for the past 2 years and in the top 4 for the past 10 yrs.
 
in my opinion, national board scores have little to do with what type of pedagogy a school uses to teach its students. i personally believe that the reason why schools like harvard or ucla consistently have higher national averages is because of their selective process of screening out "average" students.
 
I completely agree with the previous poster.

If a student isn't motivated, then he/shee isn't going to do well in class, regardless of the curriculum style. Likewise, the same translates over to board scores.

Some schools do better on the boards on a consistant basis, but I believe it is the caliber of student who attends those schools, not the school in and of itself.
 
Ok my question was basically if you had two identical students and one went to PBL school and other non PBL school, which one would score higher on the board test?
 
I sure hope it doesn't make a difference. If it does there will be an even bigger push to change curriculums across the nation. I personally can't stand days when case studies are presented. The whole session feels like I'm wasting my time. I want to get up and scream, "Hurry they hell up! I gotta study for Biochem! This takes too damn long! We are just saying the same thing over and over! AHHHHHHHH!"

For me, I like to get a topic and study it. I don't think that the process is time effective. "What do you think the patient could be asked to get more information about their condition?" "Does the patient look like they are in pain?" "What makes you think they are in pain?" At this point I scream "The dude has a nasty pus like fungus growing all over his soft palet! Of course it hurts! Are you blind! Look how inflamed it is!" This is common sense, I don't think sitting in a group asking a bunch of "find out" question is a good use of my time. I could go on and expalin more, but as you can see I have aggrevated myself. I need a nap...

I'm not saying case studies are bad for everyone, I'm just saying they are bad for me. I can't believe that some schools are completely PBL based. *Shivers*
 
Brand:

I thought you were in my class, Class of 2006? Why are you a 2007 now? I just saw that and I thought that was kind of strange?

Andy
 
Originally posted by PERFECT3434
UConn has PBL in its curriculum partly. they have ranked #1 for the past 2 years and in the top 4 for the past 10 yrs.
Click to expand...

i think you're talking bout part II here 🙂
 
My opinion is that the PBL curriculum would not prepare a student well for the boards. I have been in some PBL classes at my school. And while it does provide one with a more clear conceptual understanding of the material, it feels really inefficient. I think PBL wastes a lot of time and it's a little too touchy feely for me. I think students can actually become too lax by relying on their group and the slow comoftable process that PBL affords. The bottom line is that you have to know a lot of material and that includes some blunt memorization. You just aren't going to have time to conceptually and clearly work out everything and understand it. There is just too much material. I think PBL's intentions are noble but it's just not practical. This is just my opinion based on what I know. I'm no authority so I'm aware that PBL at the dental school level could be a lot more beneficial.


I don't think PBL or any other type of program determines success or failure on the national boards. But I do think the chances are greater that PBL could hinder the average student as opposed to help him or her, because it may not provide that student with the discipline he or she needs to succeed.
 
Yah-E

I've always been 2007. I showed up on the board about a year and a half ago. Maybe thats why you thought it.
 
"i think you're talking bout part II here"



No, no, no. #2 on part 1 and #1 on part 2 = numero uno overall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111
 
I have a feeling that PBL programs give students greater flexibility in how they wish to learn the material. Given that, I think certain types of students from PBL programs do well on the boards because

1: they learn things the way they are most comfortable with

2: they have more time to prepare for the boards.

I actually think that the latter of the two points may account for some of the higher scores in certain groups of students in PBL programs.
 
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