Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Pros and Cons of separate Pre-clinical and clinical

(edited 11 years ago)

I'd never really considered them as real options for me before, but lately I've been starting to think maybe I deserve a place there as much as the next person.

The question is, why do you think they're better than any other Medical course?

Reply 2

Mushi_master

Let's not start this debate again :tongue:

Reply 3

Beska

Original post by Saycheese

Oh no! I didn't realise this could be a bit of a sore spot for people!

It's just another one of those debates that seems to go in circles - like PBL v LBL, dissection v prosection, etc.

I think it's an absolute brilliant way of learning, imo. But Oxford kicked me firmly to the kerb a couple of years ago!

Reply 4

Calumcalum

It's frustrating, but probably overall better for me, no matter how much I hate it and would love to get stuck in right now :tongue:

Reply 5

No Future

Original post by Saycheese

Basically, I've started considering Cambridge/Oxford med schools. I'd never really considered them as real options for me before, but lately I've been starting to think maybe I deserve a place there as much as the next person. Anyways, whether they'll have me or not is a separate issue.

Really I just want to gather people's views on whether having separate preclinical and clinical stages is better/worse than having patient contact from the beginning.

Sorry I rambled a bit, but I would really appreciate if anybody could share their thoughts..
Thanks
:smile:

There's no better or worse in absolute terms, it's really down to personal preference

I am doing preclinical/clinical course. Some points to consider:

(A) Patient Contact/Communication Skills

As far as I know, almost all medical schools have some form of patient contact from first year. Mine certainly has more than enough, in my opinion

My personal opinion is that patient contact is a bit of a waste of time if you're early into your course as your knowledge is limited and the best you can do is shadow a GP or watch things and I don't feel I've learned very much from the patient contact I've had so far organised by my med school. In short, it feels unnecessary and of no particular benefit.

At most in the early stages you can take a history or visit old peoples homes (which I've already spent a lot of time working in), but there's only so many times you benefit from these if you are at an early stage in your course. I think early patient contact is overrated.

However, my opinion may be biased as I work as an HCA and feel like I have more than enough patient contact, taking into account my limited knowledge. I don't really want to see any more patients/have more placements until I have more medical knowledge.

Perhaps people who don't get to see patients may find the placements more useful?

We also get a decent amount of sessions on communication skills and the chance to practice these.

(B) Science

If you really enjoy science or learning lots of facts that may or may not be relevant to clinical practice, then a preclinical/clinical course may be for you. Sometimes it's interesting to learn basic sciency things and sometimes it feels like we're going into unnecessary/irrelevant detail, but who am I to judge? It's slightly odd in that it's not pure science, ok so we do have some lab work and stuff, but the emphasis of the course is not on pure science.

I don't actually know what it's like to work as a doctor so maybe all this will come in handy? Speaking to doctors I know, most say a lot of the basic science stuff isn't useful when you work as a doctor. Maybe it depends on specialty?

To conclude, I am largely happy with the course and given the option would not change to a different type of course.

I have no personal experience of a so called PBL course, though we do have some patient scenario cases in group work so not sure if that counts as PBL or not.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 6

Mushi_master

Original post by Saycheese

Oh no! I didn't realise this could be a bit of a sore spot for people!

It's alright, we just had quite a large debate amongst the current medical students about this recently.

Reply 7

John Locke

if you want lots of patient contact then 1)be a HCA (echoing No Future - more than enough exp!) 2)arrange work experience in your holidays (at oxford/cambridge >1/2 the year you are at home! 8 week terms!)

Original post by Beska

...

absolutely love the sig addition!

Reply 8

Beska

Original post by John Locke

absolutely love the sig addition!

Thanks.

It made me piss myself when I first saw the post.

Reply 9

Lord Jon

When I get into medical school, I would hold no preference. I know I will get huge amounts of Paitent contact anyway.

Beska

x

Brilliant. Just brilliant :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 10

No Future

Also, if the course means you transfer to a different med school for clinicals, it means you get to experience two med schools, two unis and two cities, which is a plus in my book.