Hello Cheshyre
I was wondering about the whole group problem solving interaction. I asked some of the first years on my interview but they didnt give too much insight on it. Do you think it helps you as a student to be a better physician?
thanks, glad theres pho around. Can't seem to live without it.
Ah. Yes, the question everybody wants to know.
I'll try to answer this, but, it's difficult because we haven't had very many chances to try it. This is probably why you couldn't get a straight answer, and it's most of this response is my own opinion / speculation.
I think that we've done about 6 or 7 total cases and they've been really light except for one. By that, I mean I hesitate to even refer to them as group problem solving. Most have been solved with already acquired knowledge, instead of like in a PBL curriculum where the group meeting is just for students to go over the case and figure out what they want to know. For one course, Interprofessional Education, the group sessions have been more like brainstorming than anything else.
Because everybody's learning style is different, I'll start off by tell you about my background. I go to almost all of my lectures and am a visual learner. I learn best by reading. I interviewed at LECOM-Erie where they have a mock Problem Based Learning session and I thought it was really fun.
I think fun leads to interest which leads to retention. In fact, it's been almost a year since then and I can still talk about most of the details of the case we handled. I don't have the knowledge to comment on anything else regarding group problem solving because, honestly, I don't know. I don't know how much time it takes to study compared to normal methods. I don't even know if retention will be that great after you cram a ton of knowledge using a case-based curriculum - a one hour session on a interview date probably differs significantly from real life.
I think group problem solving has advantages and disadvantages, just like everything else. Some people say it's total crap, but, at least a couple of med school programs (DO and MD) use it and the Vet school at Western uses it as well. They're sticking with it, so I'll go ahead and assume that their students haven't failed the Board exams in record numbers.
Here's my opinion and guesses on the whole situation
I don't think that WCOMP will ever become a full-PBL institution just because it's just not popular among the student body (and it requires finding a ton of facilitators to work with small groups of students). There have been horror stories from some students here regarding dress code or mandatory attendance. None of that has really been talked about this year. People wear hats, shorts, and flip flops every single day. You study in the way you think works for you. The administration, in my experience, has been pretty receptive towards the student body. They've made some mistakes and there have been some irritations (IT has been pretty annoying), but, nothing that would stop me from recommending the school. From what I've seen in WCOMP's history, it's grown by leaps and bounds in the past decades. I think that most of faculty and administration do care about providing a solid education to the students, even if they are really harsh about it (some professors like to push students).
Full disclosure: I came to Western to get my ass kicked. I think it'll make me better in the end, so whenever a Professor gives out a crazy assignment or reading, I just do it with a smile. I'll be sleep-deprived, whimpering, and crying, but at the end of the day I look at what I've done and I love it.
Final thoughts: From what I've seen and what I've been told, med school is mostly what
you make of it. Put in the hard work. If you like the school you're at, that's a bonus - it makes things just that much easier.
