What is your curriculum format? Do you like it?

[PremedGirlCO]

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Hi all! I have read tons of threads concerning the various medical school curricula formats, and I was hoping to get a few specific answers if you have time😀 I really appreciate your help!

1. Is your school "integrated/systems-based," "traditional," or some other format?

1a. I have read posts where people refer to a "block system," but they use this term interchangeably with both "integrated" AND "traditional." Are block systems sometimes used in Both formats, hence the confusion?

1b. If you do not use a block system, how are your courses split up? How many subjects at a time, how often do you have an exam, etc? And most importantly, do you like the structure? Why?

2. Does your school use PBL? How much? What do you think of it?

2b. Is PBL used primarily with "integrated" structures? (It seemed that way at the beginning of my research, but now it is difficult for me to tell).

3. I have read students' posts complaining that they were not prepared for Step 1 during their lectures. Do you feel like your lectures are doing a good/average/bad job at preparing you for this standardized exam? Why?

4. How much lecture time is there, and are your lectures mandatory? If they are optional, how do you prepare for your exams adequately? Do you prefer to have more free time to study on your own? Do you dislike going to lecture?

5. What grading system is in place at your school? Do you like it? If it is P/F, do they 'internally rank'? I am confused about this ranking system, and to whom the ranks are released..

6. What school do you go to? If you do not want to reveal your school name so publicly, perhaps I can convince you to PM it to me? Otherwise, no big deal!

Thank you so much for any answers/advice! Your help is very much appreciated!!!

 

[VenusinFurs]

1. Was traditional, now transitioning to systems based.
1a. As far as I'm aware, a "block" is where you study a particular thing. So a "block" could be a system (like cardiology) or it could be a traditional set of courses (like Anatomy and Histology). I don't see how you could have a system that was not based in "blocks."
2. We use PBL more in second year, and it's part of our Pathology course. I think it's not that useful in second year because in the end you're still being asked to memorize a bunch of information, and it's not really tested in a terribly clinical format at our school. An attempt is being made to test things as cases more, but I don't think these attempts are really working.
3. Your school covers some of the stuff that will be important in Step 1 and its important to pay attention. But you still have to study on your own because some things you won't learn in your classes and you might have to approach them differently on a standardized test than you do for school exams.
4. My school does 3-4 hours of non-mandatory lecture a day in the preclinical years. I preferred to study on my own. Lecture was often very boring.
5. My school does letter grades and ranks. The rank is part of your Dean's letter, or Medical School Performance Evaluation. Your GPA is weighted thusly: an A is a 4.0, a B is a 3.0, etc. No pluses or minuses.
6. If you want to know more PM me.

 

[PremedGirlCO]

1. Was traditional, now transitioning to systems based.
1a. As far as I'm aware, a "block" is where you study a particular thing. So a "block" could be a system (like cardiology) or it could be a traditional set of courses (like Anatomy and Histology). I don't see how you could have a system that was not based in "blocks."
2. We use PBL more in second year, and it's part of our Pathology course. I think it's not that useful in second year because in the end you're still being asked to memorize a bunch of information, and it's not really tested in a terribly clinical format at our school. An attempt is being made to test things as cases more, but I don't think these attempts are really working.
3. Your school covers some of the stuff that will be important in Step 1 and its important to pay attention. But you still have to study on your own because some things you won't learn in your classes and you might have to approach them differently on a standardized test than you do for school exams.
4. My school does 3-4 hours of non-mandatory lecture a day in the preclinical years. I preferred to study on my own. Lecture was often very boring.
5. My school does letter grades and ranks. The rank is part of your Dean's letter, or Medical School Performance Evaluation. Your GPA is weighted thusly: an A is a 4.0, a B is a 3.0, etc. No pluses or minuses.
6. If you want to know more PM me.

Thanks for the info!! When is your school supposed to be transitioned into the new format? I would think that things would be rocky During the transition, regardless of the old/new format.

 

[VenusinFurs]

Thanks for the info!! When is your school supposed to be transitioned into the new format? I would think that things would be rocky During the transition, regardless of the old/new format.

I believe it's for the incoming class that things are going to be systems based. And yeah, I'm not sure the systems based thing is gonna make learning any better, but why not keep an open mind.