PBL vs. traditional approach

[longhorn09]

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Hi, I wonder who will be choosing medical school largely base on PBL vs. traditional appraoch?

I am kinda uncomfortable about PBL, so I wonder if I should still go for the PBL schools? Seems like many schools are using PBL tho.

 

[riceman04]

Hi, I wonder who will be choosing medical school largely base on PBL vs. traditional appraoch?

I am kinda uncomfortable about PBL, so I wonder if I should still go for the PBL schools? Seems like many schools are using PBL tho.

yep, the majority of schools have incorporated some PBL/CBL in to their curriculum. Even my school, UCSD, which right now has very very little PBL, will be utilizing a new curriculum that emphasizes more small group application (for next year's incoming class).

 

[BBender716]

I smell a wonderful opportunity for a poll... 😀

 

[mmmcdowe]

PBL vs Traditional didn't factor into my decisions. Neither did systems versus organs approach. You will adapt to whatever is presented, and things that I truthfully don't have any experience with (just the opinions of others) were secondary to things like location and fit with the student body.

 

[ToBeAnMD]

Hi, I wonder who will be choosing medical school largely base on PBL vs. traditional appraoch?

I am kinda uncomfortable about PBL, so I wonder if I should still go for the PBL schools? Seems like many schools are using PBL tho.

Most schools are incorporating PBL because it seems like a great way to learn medicine. Can I ask why you are uncomfortable with it? Maybe it would help if you looked into it some more?

 

[longhorn09]

Most schools are incorporating PBL because it seems like a great way to learn medicine. Can I ask why you are uncomfortable with it? Maybe it would help if you looked into it some more?

In PBL students need to actively research the assigned topic, and then present it to and discuse it with other students in a small group. I'm afraid that I will be lost while researching for the topic and I think that the traditional way is more time-efficient. It's just my 2cents.

 

[nlax30]

In PBL students need to actively research the assigned topic, and then present it to and discuse it with other students in a small group. I'm afraid that I will be lost while researching for the topic and I think that the traditional way is more time-efficient. It's just my 2cents.

I think that's a component of "PBL" that most schools are trying to integrate into their curriculum here or there but just reading about a topic and presenting it to others in your small group is really not the purpose of PBL as a learning tool.

Honestly I think it's almost an all or nothing kind of thing. For PBL to work the curriculum really needs to be setup to be all PBL and support it. I know LOTS of schools are integrating some aspect of small group sessions like once a week or something where you present a topic, or look at a case, but I wouldn't necessarily call that all out PBL.

There are lots of threads already about PBL vs Traditional styles, pros/cons, and their respective structure, so go read through some of those as there is lots of good info.

Like someone else said, it's not that one style is better than the other, it's just a different way to approach the material. Some people know going into this whether they can learn by sitting in lecture or not, or if they enjoy small group interaction or not...... if you have a strong feeling about how one of those styles works then that may make the decision for you, if you think you'd do well in either one then just go with what you'd feel more comfortable in.

 

[Mattabet]

PBL vs Traditional didn't factor into my decisions. Neither did systems versus organs approach. You will adapt to whatever is presented, and things that I truthfully don't have any experience with (just the opinions of others) were secondary to things like location and fit with the student body.

👍 That's closest to how I feel.

It's like when people asked me how I liked my high-school. I guess I liked it, but maybe it would have been really crummy compared to others, or really great. Unless you actually have a real reason to dislike a curriculum (such as it leading to a lot of difficulty on Step 1, as happens when new things are instituted some places), I wouldn't let it completely change my decision about a place. Put it on the pro/con list, but don't let that be the only criterion by which you make your decision.