PBL vs. traditional vs. ?

[DrewFromVA]

Are there any other curriculums in use besides PBL and lecture based systems? Also, what would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of each, if you could name only one of each for each style?

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[Rapid Decomposition]

Not really - most curricula are essentially based on one of those two. Although, there are some interesting variants. For example, U. Rochester is very hands-on, you start your actual clinical clerkships in the second half of the first year, while you are taking classes on the side.

 

[DarkChild]

OP here's my go at pros and cons.
PBL:
Pros - gets you used to integrating lab values, clinical data and patient history in making diagnoses.
Cons - its hard work: its like you have to rediscover the wheel everytime round.
Traditional lecture:
Pros - you know it. you've been lectured at for a long time. most of us have figured out how to respond well to lectures, so its old hat.
Cons - you could fall asleep and you might feel that the lectures are useless because you end up learning everything on your own anyway.

My personal beef with PBL (even though I've never experienced it first hand) is that I'm worried about having to learn in a group. I would really hate it if the small group that I was forced to work with had two or three kids who just keep talking and talking and talking..... basically monopolizing the discussion. I've had this happen a couple of times in groups and I really dont want to learn that way. I'll make do when I am getting paid to work in groups... but if I'm paying $40K a year - I shouldnt have to be subjected to a constant verbal barrage from the rattling of empty cans?
Of course - YMMV

 

[mamie]

PBL is the greatest thing known to man. Lecture, screw lecture. I fall asleep all the time (at HMS you can watch lecture over the internet, so I don't even go most of the time). As far as certain people hogging group time, that won't happen just because someone will tell him or her to shut the hell up. It is actually pretty interesting in how eight people can come together, talk through a case, and gain understanding to every aspect of the medicine of the case at hand.

But, then again that's my personal preference. You definately learn more clinical vignettes in pbl than lecture which is dry and straightforward, while pbl is active and has no real format. It's up to you and the group to get everything you can out of the case.