PBL

[GoFlacco]

Are there any current or former students that could elaborate more on the PBL type of teaching? I'm quite confused about what this means :(

[dnvrlikethecity]

We have PBL three times a week most every week (a couple times, we have had two-day PBL cases due to exams or holidays). The class of 30 is broken up into groups of 6, with a facilitator (who is a faculty/staff member). The program uses a computer-based patient database split into systems, and each month our patients are from the specific system we are studying.

 

On Monday, we are presented with a patient's c/c and as a group on the first day, work out a differential diagnosis and conduct a patient interview. As topics come up we are unsure of, we make a list of what we don't know or want to research further. At the end of the session, we work up a final list of 6 "Learning Issues" (LI) that will be researched by each of the group members and then presented to the group in the next PBL session.

 

On Wednesday, we spend the first hour teaching our classmates what we learned about the LI we were given. We then go back to the computer program and ask any questions in the history we may have missed, and then move on the physical exam. Same process as before about working out what LIs for Friday, etc.

 

On Friday, same setup of starting by going through LIs. Then we run any diagnostics we want to either r/o diseases or diagnose our patient. Then we work through a problem list and treatment plan. After the 2 hour session, we then come together as a group and have a case wrap-up.

[GoFlacco]

Okay great thank you for responding! I am assuming that this implies that PBL sessions are not the only mode of learning then, and that there are also lectures to go along with this?