A comparison between students in problem-based and traditional curricula at the same medical school: preparing for the NBME Part I

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Abstract
Eighteen of 22 students in a problem-based curriculum and 62 of 79 students in a traditional curriculum at the same medical school completed a survey 10 weeks after completing Part I of the National Boards. The survey asked students to report the average time they had spent each week during the first 2 years of medical school preparing for the Part I examination. Students were also asked to rate the usefulness of a variety of learning resources. The purpose of the survey was to compare the preparation activities of students in the two curricula. The results of the survey revealed that students in the problem-based curriculum tended to study many more hours for Part I than did students in the traditional curriculum, especially during their second year. The results also found problem-based curriculum students tended to rate textbooks and the PreTest Series as more valuable than did their peers in the traditional curriculum. The effects of the format and goals of the two curricula on the students' preparation activities are explored.