Tuesday 1 April 2008

Interesting Research

I missed this in the news a few weeks ago but was reminded about it over the weekend. Slightly worrying.

Liverpool and Manchester - pioneers of PBL in the UK.

6 comments:

Hospital Wallpaper said...

There's a similar list for people passing MRCP first time round. OF course the Universities lower down the list are maintaining that its nothing to do with being a "good doctor".

I'm not sure if this (found via a quick google search) is the exact study I read before but its essentially the same results:

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/6/5/figure/F1

From the article at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/6/5

I am happy to not my own institution is very near the top for both exams.

Lily said...

...and mine is rather near the bottom. Oh dear.

The Manchester Medic said...

This really doesn't surprise me. I just wish the people in charge would look at the evidence building up against PBL and abolish it.

I am in the somewhat fortunate position in that I have experienced both the traditional and problem-based learning methods at two separate universities. And, for me, there is no contest. I learn more in one lecture that I would in a whole semester of PBL sessions.

LJH said...

If applying to the graduate medical programs this year has taught me anything, it's not to get too caught up in the stats. I'd never have applied to any GEP if I had done as the odds are scary. You've made it to your 5th year in medicine which is a great achievement so I'm sure you'll be grand in these exams. Good luck!

Hospital Wallpaper said...

We've mostly had lectures, but from what PBL exposure I've had, I've found that PBL really depends on the facilitator. Some are excellent others make PBL a real miserable waste of time.

I shall have to write about Professor Deck Shoes, the worst PBL facilitator of all time, some day.

PhD scientist said...

Crikey - 33% for the NW Schools is a bit eye-watering. But to be fair King's has an lecture based (though "subjects-integrated") course, plus all the airs the London colleges give themselves, and they are up there too.

I suppose they controlled for any differences in how many years post-graduation the people were?

Speaking from the inside, I can't see any of the PBL schools reversing back to trad courses any time soon - too many people with too much "invested" in PBL courses, plus simply the act that it is a tremendously time-consuming undertaking re-inventing any curriculum. Definitely "once in a generation" stuff. Plus the GMC have studiously insisted on keeping very quiet apart from saying that "diversity" of course design is "a good thing".

The only likelihood I could foresee for radical change is if (when?) they introduce a national medical qualifying exam and there then turn out to be significant and consistent differences between the PBL and non-PBL schools.