Typical Pre-clerk Years?

[astudentis]

Would anyone have a typical schedule of year 1 and 2 at UofA Meds?

(I remember seeing a time table posted in one of the halls ... would anyone have a copy of that?)

 

- Also, is PBL at UofA there mostly to complement lectures, or does it introduce new material? And also are PBL session only for certain blocks (does UofA function on a block basis?), or present for full two years-all of the blocks?

- Would anyone know how much PBL is there compared to say: McMaster, Ottawa, Dalhousie? (I know since you havnt attend those schools you might not know, but maybe you considered this when deciding which school to attend)?

[Icebox]

Would anyone have a typical schedule of year 1 and 2 at UofA Meds?

(I remember seeing a time table posted in one of the halls ... would anyone have a copy of that?)

 

- Also, is PBL at UofA there mostly to complement lectures, or does it introduce new material? And also are PBL session only for certain blocks (does UofA function on a block basis?), or present for full two years-all of the blocks?

- Would anyone know how much PBL is there compared to say: McMaster, Ottawa, Dalhousie? (I know since you havnt attend those schools you might not know, but maybe you considered this when deciding which school to attend)?

 

Here's an example:

 

Monday = block lectures 8am-10am; PBL 10am-12pm; block lectures 1pm-3pm; anatomy 3pm-5pm.

Tuesday = block lectures 9am - 12pm; free time 1-3pm; patient-centered care lecture 3-5pm

Wednesday = block lectures 8am-10am; PBL 10am-12pm; free time for the rest of the day

Thursday = free time in the morning and until 3pm; patient-centered care lecture 3-5pm

Friday = anatomy 8-10am; PBL 10-11am; free time 11am-12pm; block lectures 1-3pm

 

UofA does function on a block basis (1st year = Intro; Infection & Immunity; Endocrine; Cardio; Pulmonary; Renal. 2nd year = GI; Repro; MSK; Neurosciences; Oncology. Both years have concurrent courses throughout the year such as Patient-Centered Care and Interdisciplinary Team Development) and every block has PBL. General info about the curriculum can be found on the UofA website and it's very useful (http://www.med.ualberta.ca/Education/UGME/clinicaled12/index.cfm?yr=1).

 

The PBL really depends on the block & how the block coordinators decide to structure the cases around the material - sometimes it's entirely separate from lectures, sometimes it is in conjunction with that material, and sometimes it's a complete duplication of the material to reinforce certain concepts. Some people will have PBL Mon/Wed/Fri, and some will have it Tue/Thur/Fri (hence the 10-12am/1-3pm time slots are interchangeable between PBL and free time). Definitely not as much as Mac, and I'm not sure about the other schools.

 

Also keep in mind that things vary greatly - this is just what you see on the schedule.

 

-Some PBL preceptors will schedule their groups differently

-Anatomy may take less time or more time since you independently go through the dissectors within groups (and the amazing profs are there to help you whenever you ask)

-Clinical skills programs usually run on one of the half days off (for 2nd years it's Wed PM and Thurs AM; for 1st years it's Tues AM and Fri PM - these can change from year to year)

-Every block varies with lecture time - some heavier and some lighter. Week to week there is variation as well, again at the discretion of the block coordinator. Usually towards an exam, the amount of lecture time dwindles significantly and on the week of the block final, you may only have 2-3 lectures and then reviews.

 

So overall, a mix of things and a large variety.

[Lebron]

I've heard that the lectures at the U of C are webcasted, so students could potentially watch the video of lecture from home as opposed to attending class. Is this available at the U of A as well? Thank you

[Icebox]

I've heard that the lectures at the U of C are webcasted, so students could potentially watch the video of lecture from home as opposed to attending class. Is this available at the U of A as well? Thank you

 

.........Yep.

[Jochi1543]

.........Yep.

 

Looking at the schedule you posted above, can you elaborate on whether it would translate into being able to take an entire day off? While it's obvious that one must attend PBL and anatomy, I'm not clear if things like "patient care-centered lecture" require in-class attendance. Just trying to figure out how many days a month I could use for work, if needed.

[Wut?]

Looking at the schedule you posted above, can you elaborate on whether it would translate into being able to take an entire day off? While it's obvious that one must attend PBL and anatomy, I'm not clear if things like "patient care-centered lecture" require in-class attendance. Just trying to figure out how many days a month I could use for work, if needed.

 

Everything is mandatory except lecture. But even lectures are sometimes mandatory.

 

Assuming they don't change the schedule for Phase I:

 

Mandatory DL - MWF

 

Mandatory anatomy - M afternoon starting in January

 

Mandatory PCC / CommH - T afternoon, T afternoon

[jdai]

Looking at the schedule you posted above, can you elaborate on whether it would translate into being able to take an entire day off? While it's obvious that one must attend PBL and anatomy, I'm not clear if things like "patient care-centered lecture" require in-class attendance. Just trying to figure out how many days a month I could use for work, if needed.

 

Depends on your DL schedule, really. Usually monday or tuesday is the lecture days, most of the lecture of the week will be on monday or tuesday. One of those days will also be your DL session, which is for the most part mandatory. This means that if you have DL on tuesday fora particular block, and no anatomy on monday (anatomy labs are usually later during the week except neuro when you have 2x anatomy lab per week), your whole monday will just be lectures.

 

You can skip that monday.

 

It varies from block to block so you can never be sure until you get the schedule.

 

PCC lectures, which are the only lectures that are often mandatory, are usually tuesdays and thursday afternoons.

 

There are people in the class (I call them anti-socials, for obvious reasons) that skip everything they can skip, and only come for mandatory stuff. They don't really make a lot of friends in the class, but they seem to manage fine. Independent learning to the extreme.

 

Just remember, you are paying for the lecture with your tuition, and that sometimes, video recording go wrong (so you only get audio), animation/live video is never recorded (so you don't get to see awesome endoscopy or surgery videos that are presented in class), and sometimes, lecturers bring their own laptop for presentations and thus prevent recording of the lecture completely.

 

It's not a perfect system, but it might get better, or might stay the same. If you need to work though, you can definitely find time.

[Jochi1543]

 

It's not a perfect system, but it might get better, or might stay the same. If you need to work though, you can definitely find time.

 

Yeah, I would prefer not to work, since I've worked so much recently, I'd rather have a good social life. But you never know, so I'm gonna keep the option - thankfully, our service will continue paying for my license til the end of 2010 even if I don't work a single day til Dec. 31st 2010.

[Jochi1543]

Here's an example:

 

Monday = block lectures 8am-10am; PBL 10am-12pm; block lectures 1pm-3pm; anatomy 3pm-5pm.

Tuesday = block lectures 9am - 12pm; free time 1-3pm; patient-centered care lecture 3-5pm

Wednesday = block lectures 8am-10am; PBL 10am-12pm; free time for the rest of the day

Thursday = free time in the morning and until 3pm; patient-centered care lecture 3-5pm

Friday = anatomy 8-10am; PBL 10-11am; free time 11am-12pm; block lectures 1-3pm

Does anatomy start right away? For some reason, I think I read somewhere that it's done in 2nd year....

[Icebox]

Anatomy starts in cardio block, which is around the 3rd week in January.

[Jochi1543]

Anatomy starts in cardio block, which is around the 3rd week in January.

 

So then do we have the anatomy time slots free for the first semester? Or do they have something else?

[tooty]

what do you guys do on your couple hours of free time blocks during the day between lectures?

 

chill?

 

group hug?

[traumahawk]

Play dominos in a smokey shack?

[Icebox]

So then do we have the anatomy time slots free for the first semester? Or do they have something else?

 

Varies block by block - Endocrine has small group time with patients which is unique to it and so that forms part of that time, but overall there is more free time during the first semester.

 

what do you guys do on your couple hours of free time blocks during the day between lectures?

 

Chill, eat, go home and sleep if you live close by, play games in the Fishbowl, go to main campus to do other stuff, whatever you want to do.

[tooty]

Varies block by block - Endocrine has small group time with patients which is unique to it and so that forms part of that time, but overall there is more free time during the first semester.

 

 

 

Chill, eat, go home and sleep if you live close by, play games in the Fishbowl, go to main campus to do other stuff, whatever you want to do.

 

do you guys stick together often or do your own thing?

[AdamP]

what do you guys do on your couple hours of free time blocks during the day between lectures?

 

chill?

 

group hug?

 

u of a right...

 

drill for oil??

[astudentis]

Enjoy a warm cup of coffee with a dognut from timmies across the lecture hall?

[Wut?]

Negative. Fooseball / Super Smash Bros is where it's at.

[tooty]

Negative. Fooseball / Super Smash Bros is where it's at.

 

smash bros on n64 right? that is the illest.

[Wut?]

smash bros on n64 right? that is the illest.

 

Yep, good old N64. First years always get the crappy controllers, though - 'tis the way of the totem pole

[GenGal27]

Here's an example:

 

Monday = block lectures 8am-10am; PBL 10am-12pm; block lectures 1pm-3pm; anatomy 3pm-5pm.

Tuesday = block lectures 9am - 12pm; free time 1-3pm; patient-centered care lecture 3-5pm

Wednesday = block lectures 8am-10am; PBL 10am-12pm; free time for the rest of the day

Thursday = free time in the morning and until 3pm; patient-centered care lecture 3-5pm

Friday = anatomy 8-10am; PBL 10-11am; free time 11am-12pm; block lectures 1-3pm

 

UofA does function on a block basis (1st year = Intro; Infection & Immunity; Endocrine; Cardio; Pulmonary; Renal. 2nd year = GI; Repro; MSK; Neurosciences; Oncology. Both years have concurrent courses throughout the year such as Patient-Centered Care and Interdisciplinary Team Development) and every block has PBL. General info about the curriculum can be found on the UofA website and it's very useful (http://www.med.ualberta.ca/Education/UGME/clinicaled12/index.cfm?yr=1).

 

The PBL really depends on the block & how the block coordinators decide to structure the cases around the material - sometimes it's entirely separate from lectures, sometimes it is in conjunction with that material, and sometimes it's a complete duplication of the material to reinforce certain concepts. Some people will have PBL Mon/Wed/Fri, and some will have it Tue/Thur/Fri (hence the 10-12am/1-3pm time slots are interchangeable between PBL and free time). Definitely not as much as Mac, and I'm not sure about the other schools.

 

Also keep in mind that things vary greatly - this is just what you see on the schedule.

 

-Some PBL preceptors will schedule their groups differently

-Anatomy may take less time or more time since you independently go through the dissectors within groups (and the amazing profs are there to help you whenever you ask)

-Clinical skills programs usually run on one of the half days off (for 2nd years it's Wed PM and Thurs AM; for 1st years it's Tues AM and Fri PM - these can change from year to year)

-Every block varies with lecture time - some heavier and some lighter. Week to week there is variation as well, again at the discretion of the block coordinator. Usually towards an exam, the amount of lecture time dwindles significantly and on the week of the block final, you may only have 2-3 lectures and then reviews.

 

So overall, a mix of things and a large variety.

 

What does PBL stand for??

 

thx

[Jochi1543]

What does PBL stand for??

 

thx

 

Problem-based learning. You have a small group, receive some sort of case, all study up on it, then discuss it as a group. So, say, you might get a case of GERD, you will be discussing all the possible symptoms, pathophysiology, short- and long-term treatments, etc.