Block system

[Guest FockI'mOld!]

This is a question regarding the pre-clinical curriculum. I've been told that Western uses a block system where you focus on one subject area for 4 weeks then move on to something else. Could neone confirm if that is indeed the practice? It would also help if you could discuss some of the adv/disadv of this system.

 

Personally, I'd prefer the block system because I tend to have a one-track mind

[Darla]

Western does have a block system, but the length of each blocks varies.

 

First year is 6wks Intro to Medicine, 3 wks Immunity and Immunology, 6 weeks Muskuloskeletal, 6 wks Resp and Airways, 6wks Cardio, 3 wks blood, 3wks I&I (it's split up), 1 wk skin...I may have messed up the count there somewhere though

 

Advantages: learn the way the system works, then learn it's pathology. Makes it much easier to see how the disease affects the body while the biology is fresh.

 

Disadvantages: specialists aren't always able to come in during the path part of the block so we sometimes get path with the bio - but this is an advantage too since disease is usually more interesting than straight up anatomy so it's easier to remember the bio.

We sometimes don't have the background to entirely understand what's being said (e.g. we don't do neurology until second year, but our body has nerves everywhere). The profs are usually really good about backing up and explaining it all though so that it's not that big a disadvantage for us.

[Gob]

The biggest problem with the block system is the fact that by the time clerkship rolls around, there will be some material that you haven't seen in literally 2 years.