Step 1 efficiency of PBL vs. Lecture

[KarmaIsTruth]

In PBL - you often read 8 hours per day from textbooks. Then apply it to cases. Is it efficient to independently sort through all this information and constantly decide what is relevant for the Step 1?

In lecture - med schools spoonfeed you the information you need. Then you take notes. You are essentially taking notes of notes (the professor's notes and PowerPoints). Some students won't even buy the books. Schools also often record the lectures so you don't need to show up to class. The problem with lecture is that the lectures may not be relevant to what is on the Step 1.

What do you think prepares you most efficiently for the Step 1?

I'm deciding between NSUCOM (recorded lecture) and LECOM-B (PBL) - and it is the toughest decision I have yet to make. : /

I'm trying for internal medicine BTW.

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[iamADIPOSE]

Ultimately you should determine to see if PBL is really right for you. Both schools are great (I'm going to LECOM this fall) but it is really up to you, and not the school, on how well you do on the steps

 

[Osmosis Co-founder]

PBL requires discipline, though ultimately I believe is a better way to learn. If you show up prepared for discussions and ready to contribute, you can develop a lot of insight. I'm doing an MD/MBA where the MD is mostly lecture-based and the MBA is 100% case-based. I've learned, and retained, more from the case method with the added benefits of getting to know my classmates better. Lectures have been shown to be inefficient ways to retain info (very passive form of learning), and this is exacerbated by the fact that many medical school profs don't take the time to shorten their lectures to manageable chunks (think TED talks or Khan Academy-style) nor do they always try making it relevant to what you need for the wards and boards. For example, we had a lecture on telomeres that was way too detailed in terms of the basic science and far too light on clinical applications, simply because the professor is a world-leader in the field. That was awesome, but didn't really help us for the wards or boards. It's one reason my colleagues and I even began working on Osmosis, which can extract the text from your lecture slides and then recommend board- and ward-relevant material.

Ultimately your success will depend upon how disciplined you are at staying on top of the material and finding ways to anchor the most important info in your head - the best way to do this is to see patients. Both LECOM and NSUCOM are great schools (I have friends at both who are enjoying their experience) with excellent admins whom I've had the opportunity to speak with, so I wouldn't worry too much about making a wrong decision. Good luck!