Guest The Law Posted May 7, 2006 Report Share Posted May 7, 2006 Hey everyone, I was just wondering if anyone knew about what UBC's med school is like? Is it more self-directed learning? Is there a lot of problem-based learning? How often are you in class? Thanks! LK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kupo Posted May 7, 2006 Report Share Posted May 7, 2006 It's a fair bit of everything. Some would argue there's too much emphasis on self directed learning, others eat it up like nobody's business. Our curriculum is system based, so while the # of lectures, PBL sessions, and self-directed study time is relatively the same, how much of the learning objectives are covered will heavily depend on how well the cases are designed and how well the lectures are taught, and also how clear and specific (or vague) the learning objectives are. The typical week is as follows (in the FMED block anyways): 4-6 lectures per week 3 two-hour PBL sessions 1 afternoon and 1 morning off for self-directed learning 1 afternoon of DPAS 1 afternoon of Clinical Skills 1 afternoon of Family Practice 2 afternoons of other (pathology labs, anatomy, histology, workshop tutorials, or additional directed study time). It's pretty well balanced. But i think the issue with PBL, for me anyways, has to do with how well the block is designed. I found the lecture HDI (human diseases and infection) very average (overall), forcing me to learning on my own more than I would have liked. There's so much time to read and learn material. HDI is all infections, so there's overwhelming amounts of materials to sift through. Not having useful lectures was really a waste of time (that's 4-5 hours I could be doing other things). On the other hand, the Cardio block is just about the most well thought, well organized block there is. The lectures are extremely useful (and the lecturers are the best - Dr. Waechter and Dr. Courneya "get it" when it comes to teaching and making notes). With extremely useful lectures, not to mention a fantastic cardio textbook (your one-stop shop for cardio info), it was a most enjoyable block. The objectives that were laid about were very specific, the quiz questions relevant (practice online), and there were supplementary handouts to make out lives extremely easier (e.g. a "pharmacology" handout highlighting the relevant drugs, MOA, and most importantly, cardiospecific benefits and side effects). The professors were very receptive to our feedback and facilitated online discussions every day. Anyway, I don't want to say cardio is the most interesting, because people have different tastes. But the effort made to make the block enjoyable (through teaching, case write ups, and supplementary labs, notes, and quizzes) was clearly evident. okay, thats my rant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Law Posted May 7, 2006 Report Share Posted May 7, 2006 Wow thanks so much Kupo! Very informative post, and highly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RoseSmurfette Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 Thanks for info about the curriculum - it was very useful! What about the class dynamic? I know it's a relatively large class (as far as med classes go) - how did that work out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest baloobizoo Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 You get to know a lot of your classmates, since there is a lot of small group work and each group has ~8 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest puzzlinganswer Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 kupo.....Is it true that DPAS is the best part of first year....allowing your heart and mind to grow in ways you never thought conceivable, veritably changing the way you view the world around you???....i heard it even makes colours more vibrant...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kels2004 Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 Yep, DPAS is the pathway to enlightenment. I am now a better, more open minded physician in training... grass appears greener, and the sky is bluer. :rollin I did a self directed project this year, to get away from the pedantic minutia of the course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kupo Posted May 14, 2006 Report Share Posted May 14, 2006 aiyah DPAS, It's different. Let's keep it at that. I like my tutor though. Knows a lot about the social side of medicine. Rather talk to the dude than go to the lectures (although I liked the first sex-med lecture). Kupo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kels2004 Posted May 14, 2006 Report Share Posted May 14, 2006 You're definitely in luck if you have a good tutor... and the ethics block is excellent too. The self-directed option is a great way to explore an area of interest in more depth... I couldn't believe the projects people took on this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest physiology Posted May 14, 2006 Report Share Posted May 14, 2006 Hey, The following is comprised of Physiology's own personal opinion. DPAS, in principle, is a good course. Why would human beings not want to be humanistic? It took a nosedive in 2nd year, but it wasn't so bad in first year. The best part of DPAS were the projects spent OUTSIDE the DPAS lecture hall. It was poorly delivered, poorly taught, and the assignments were a waste of time (except for one community assignment). I stayed in the regular DPAS curriculum, and did not pursue the self-directed path. I love my own group and my tutor was awesome. Physio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.