UCSF SOM New curriculum

[caffeinegirl]

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I know we have a couple of UCSF people here...any news on the new curriculum?

I checked out the website, and it seems good, but what I really want to know is...

Will the incoming class have to work out a lot of kinks or have you already worked that out?

And...do you have enough faculty to teach all the sections? At my interview, a student said that they would have MS3 and MS4 students teaching the sections!

Any info would be TOTALLY appreciated

thanks!!

 

[jimi]

I'm very curious: how will MS3's have enough time to teach??? Would it be offered as an elective? That is a very interesting concept since I thought MS3's are always in the wards.

Annihilator where are you????

 

[Annihilator]

Originally posted by jimi:
Annihilator where are you????

<trumpet> Here I come to save the day! </trumpet>

CaffeineGirl, most of the kinks should be worked out. The organization of the curriculum for each block is complete. The content needs to be filled in. Meaning: when something is taught and in what sequence it is taught has been set; the nitty gritty details of individual lecture and syllabus contents are not complete (which is normal for most schools, syllabi aren't ready until one month before classes start, anyway). So the structure and organization is there, it's time to include the cream filling. Poor planning and poor organization can lead to lots of problems. But I don't expect there to be kinks, the planning and organization of the new curriculum is excellent.

As for the M3 and M4 leaders, I believe it depends on the block and the small group session. I can tell you what has been discussed for the Prologue Block (the first block you will be in, in addition to FPC) since I am a member of that steering committee. We will probably use a few M3 and M4 to lead some small groups. The current curriculum uses many M3 and M4's to help out with the small groups and we have no complaints. A perk of having these students lead small groups is that they have first hand knowledge of what you (as a med student) need to know for the boards and the wards. They have the most recent first hand experience. I know you may think you'll "miss" something by not having a faculty facilitator, but that's usually not the case. These small groups are actually designed to be student led. That's right, the facilitators are only there to help guide your discussions should they go far astray. Students decide what they want to research, what they think is relevant to their cases, not the facilitator. Think of the facilitator as a consultant, to be used as needed. This is true student oriented PBL.

Jimi, the M3's and M4's do it on a voluntary basis, meaning they really want to help teach. I don't know if they get credits or what, but i know the ones who help out are usually interested in medical education and teaching medicine as a career. I'm not trying to imply that the faculty are unenthusiastic (no more than at any other institution), but at least with the student facilitator you know for sure that you have someone who will give you 110%. Point of clarification: the faculty here are excellent and very enthusiastic about teaching students!

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Annihilator
MS1, UCSF

[This message has been edited by Annihilator (edited 02-21-2001).]

 

[Oceandust]

caffeinegirl (or any others who may know)...

were you accepted to UCSF? Are you out-of-state? Did they tell you at the interview stage if out-of-staters have still a slimmer chance (compared to CA residents) of acceptance? Or is everyone at this point more or less on the equal footing? Do you have any idea the chances of acceptance for out-of-staters at the interview stage?

Sounds like you've done well to get to this point. Sorry to rapid-fire you with all these questions--don't feel obligated to answer to any or all of them.

Best of luck to all of you....

-OD

[This message has been edited by Oceandust (edited 02-21-2001).]

 

[caffeinegirl]

Hi Oceandust
I was lucky and totally surprised to receive my acceptance from UCSF just a couple of days ago. I'm still trying to actually believe it.
I am out of state, and I'm not sure what the status of the class is now. I think that out of staters and in staters are on equal footing for the interview stage though...
good luck!!

 

[Oceandust]

Congrats! Is UCSF your first choice?

 

[caffeinegirl]

Hi Oceandust
Right now, it looks like that's where I'm headed! I really didn't think I could even be given this opportunity. I went to the interview (first time in Cali, and could only spare 24 hours!) thinking this would be the last time I would see San Fran.

I wrote them off the list because I thought there would be no way in heck that I'd get in.

So right now, I'm letting it sink in

thanks and I hope you hear good news soon! (I interviewed in the beginning of December, and heard on the Feb 15th round)

 

[red fox]

Caffeinegirl,
Congratulations on your acceptance to UCSF! I was accepted in December and it looks like that's where I'll be heading too, so we'll probably be classmates.

Annihilator,
Thanks for the good info about the curriculum changes for next year. That's the one thing (other than finding housing) that I had reservations about in attending UCSF. I don't mind being a guinea pig for the curriculum as long as there are procedures to address and rectify any problems that arise along the way. Any idea about that?

 

[caffeinegirl]

Hi red fox!
that's awesome! I'm really just in la-la land right now...
but when I went there, my reservations were the same as yours: curriculum and housing.
do you know what you're going to do about that? it doesn't look like campus housing will be easy to get into!

 

[red fox]

Caffeinegirl,

I know what you mean about la la land. when I got my acceptance, I walked around in a fog for days, because I never thought I'd get in there! Now the newness has worn off, and I just want to get started already!

I don't know what I'm going to do about housing. Campus housing is not an option for me; I'm recently married and we have a small dog. I'm probably going to start looking for an apartment EARLY. They are out there, they just take a while to find. Affording the apartment is another story! We'll make it work some how I'm sure. What are your thoughts on the issue?

 

[caffeinegirl]

Hey red fox
I think I'm kind of settling into the idea a bit. It's still weird to have this process be over! I just didn't expect it

As for housing, it's just going to be just little old me, and since I don't know anything about the west coast, I'm really hoping I can get into the on-campus singles housing. It would make life just soo much easier, and I wouldn't have to make a trip across the country just to find an apartment!!

I'm crossing my fingers. I know that finding a place is difficult, and you need a large dash of luck added as well.

Good luck to you, congrats, and see you soon!

 

[red fox]

Caffeinegirl,

Are you planning on coming out for UCSF's accepted students weekend in April. I think the woman in the admissions office told me that it's being held April 20 and 21. They said they would send more info soon. I'm kind of curious to go and get some questions answered about the curriculum changes for next year.

 

[caffeinegirl]

Hi red fox
I didn't know about the revisit weekend. I would definitely want to come on by though!! Once we get the info, I'll take a look at it, but it's just such a looong trip for me...I'm really going to have to sit and think about it!!

thanks for the info!!