Case based learning

Writing about web page http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/study/ugr/

I cannot believe how fast first year has gone. It does not seem that long ago that I received my confirmation of getting in and was deciding on living arrangements, what colour stethoscope I should go for and where was the best place to get scrubs for our biggest fresher’s night! But what a year it has been! It has been challenging and difficult but I have also really enjoyed it. I didn’t know what to expect when we started as with the new course structure there was only so much the older years could tell us. I also wasn’t sure of how I would find case based learning (or CBL as it’s known), but I have actually been surprised at how good it has been!

The course is structured so that you have 3 CBL sessions a week – the CBL week starts on a Thursday, just to confuse matters, but that gives you the whole weekend to do any work you may have been set! Each week therefore has its own case – in the first session you are given a brief overview of the patient’s presenting complaint and a few details like their age. You then gradually build upon this information over the week, either in the sessions or at home. In each session you get given more information as the facilitator thinks you are ready for it – for example, once you have decided that your patient probably needs an MRI you get the results!

Most of the work though is done through discussion with your group. Each week we assign a chair and a scribe – and over the course of a block everyone gets a turn at something. The scribe records the discussion and highlights any key information, and the chair helps to keep everyone on track and ensures we move on when we’ve exhausted a topic! Normally ‘homework’ is assigned to everyone at the end of the first session which we then feed back to one another at the start of the second session. This has been a really useful way of covering lots of information and finding the important parts without you personally having to spend all your time doing so!

CBL wouldn’t be so effective if we didn’t all work as a team. I am lucky to get on well with all the members in my group, but that doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes have our squabbles! At the start of the year we, like most groups, we had a few lessons to learn and issues to iron out, but once they all got sorted we have all worked really well together. Spending time together outside of CBL has also been great fun, and a good way to build on relationships. I would not have enjoyed the year half so much if it hadn’t been for my CBL group. I always knew they were there for help and support when I was having a rubbish week or had a revision problem.

Not everyone will find best friends in their CBL groups, but so long as you can work together and help each other the year will be so much better. It’s common knowledge that not everyone gets on with everyone but being able to work alongside others from all backgrounds is so important for this career, and therefore it’s a good way to get the practice in early!

Sarah Hill : 15 Aug 2014 14:58 |  Tags: Case-Based Learning Mbchb Medicine Rachel Student Warwick |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem