Applicants' Day

**scohoust** · 18-03-2010, 09:49 PM

Congrats to all those with offers!

Hopefully we'll be seeing some of you at the Applicants' day on the 30th. As you may be aware there will be a talk (which is repeated) from current students trying to tell you all what it's like being a glasgow medical student.

At the moment I'm probably going to be giving one of the talks, essentially an expanded version of what I said at the Open Day (for those who can remember). Since this is really your day I'm looking for any big issues you want addressed in the talks. Last year we managed to jam pack the room and it seemed to go down rather well, hopefully the same again this time.

On another note, any current students who want to get involved giving a talk (or part of it) then let me know.

**sara7000** · 22-03-2010, 08:10 PM

Hey that is good you started this thread. What time are you giving the talk?
I didn't go to the open day as I was doing work experience that day. I am really considering
Glasgow but I am just so unsure about PBL at the moment. I think candidates like me would REALLY REALLY NEED
REASSURRANCE about PBL. In particular I am "scared" of not knowing whether I know enough to pass.
Although being a doctor isn't just learning from books, but in order to "be" one you need to pass exams.
My worry is not being aware of what to learn because there is no set course.
I have heard from a few Glasgow medics that the lecture(s) that week tie in with the theory behind the PBL scenario
but the timetable still seems a bit "empty". With full honesty I am terribly confused about PBL now, although
it seems much more fun. I really just want more on what kind of help is available through out the course. I tend to ask alot......and yes alot lolz.......of questions and really need someone to VERIFY what I know is correct sometimes. I know school is totally different from uni but in general are the fascilitators willing to aswer your questions at any time? Can you just email them any problems that arise while you research that week's PBL scenario(s)? Thanks

**fortysixandtwo** · 23-03-2010, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by sara7000

Although being a doctor isn't just learning from books, but in order to "be" one you need to pass exams.
My worry is not being aware of what to learn because there is no set course.

I'm sure this is something you'll have to confront at some stage in your career. I guess the question is: now or later?

**Lady_S** · 23-03-2010, 06:07 AM

I really want to go on the visit day but I have a lot on and its a 5 hour journey

im pretty sure i'll be making glasgow my firm because i think the curriculum is great...
I was wondering about glasgows social aspect though, is the medical society quite active?

**The P** · 23-03-2010, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by sara7000

Hey that is good you started this thread. What time are you giving the talk?
I didn't go to the open day as I was doing work experience that day. I am really considering
Glasgow but I am just so unsure about PBL at the moment. I think candidates like me would REALLY REALLY NEED
REASSURRANCE about PBL. In particular I am "scared" of not knowing whether I know enough to pass.
Although being a doctor isn't just learning from books, but in order to "be" one you need to pass exams.
My worry is not being aware of what to learn because there is no set course.
I have heard from a few Glasgow medics that the lecture(s) that week tie in with the theory behind the PBL scenario
but the timetable still seems a bit "empty". With full honesty I am terribly confused about PBL now, although
it seems much more fun. I really just want more on what kind of help is available through out the course. I tend to ask alot......and yes alot lolz.......of questions and really need someone to VERIFY what I know is correct sometimes. I know school is totally different from uni but in general are the fascilitators willing to aswer your questions at any time? Can you just email them any problems that arise while you research that week's PBL scenario(s)? Thanks

Short answer: It works!

Please trust us on this one. For the enthusiastic individual (and you currently seem to be oozing enthusiasm, which is great!) PBL is a really good way to learn. It allows you to learn the basics and then read around the subject as and when it takes your interest. I have friends at Dundee + Edinburgh medical schools and feel no worse off than them.

I was as worried as you were before starting, but the benefits of PBL extend far beyond the way in which you learn medical knowledge. My self-confidence has honestly come on leaps and bounds in the past year and I have no doubt that it is down to the format of the course. It also teaches you how to deal with personality conflicts when they arise, which is something you're DEFINITELY better off learning now rather than later.

I think the best way for you to find out is to come down to the Applicant's day and speak to some students + staff in person.

**Rex The Red** · 26-03-2010, 02:38 AM

i can agree with the p as well; i can understand people not being sure about PBL, but it's really not that weird. In fact i think its the way forward; i dont see why or how a course based on you being talked at for over 2 hours a day five days a week is or could be in anyway better than a course where you work in your own time in the library on questions you made up yourself in a small group.

Also if its any plus, the stuff you learn in first year are all the 'relevant' stuff; ie all the problems/diseases that you hear about all the time so its actually interesting. If im not mistaken other med schools start off with other stuff that isnt so applicable (i.e. wont be asked about by your non-medic mates)

**FlyingCucumber** · 28-03-2010, 03:50 PM

I can't come to the applicant's day unfortunately, I live too far away to go since I've already been to Glasgow before.

I was worried about PBL too, but I've come to think it seems like a good idea. I have friends doing medicine in my home town in Sweden, where the course is also very PBL-oriented, and they said that the schools that do PBL over here are the ones producing students who perform the best during their foundation years. I haven't seen this report myself, but I've also been told by a friend whose dad is an A&E consultant that the foundation year docs he gets in who've done PBL are usually better than some of the others since they have the right way of thinking. When he was told that Glasgow does PBL he thought it seemed great, and he thinks that traditional courses are quite outdated. There are two very traditional courses in Sweden (and two very PBL-oriente courses, out of six med schools in total), one of them is good because they have extremely strong research at that school which they can lean on, but the other is quite critcised by the current students, which the PBL schools aren't as far as I know.

Anyway, I think PBL seems like a good way of learning and I'm really looking forward to coming to Glasgow. Glasgow seeming like a great city helps too of course