I know this has been brought up in another thread, but my question is different. I understand that attendnace is mandetory in the classes at Saba. However, I was wondering how important this rule is.

I find that I get much more learning done from a textbook, then a profesor. I know that skipping class isn't an option, but what about reviewing cue cards in the back row? I personally couldn't see that as being acceptable, but I am trying to find a way to maximize the efficiency. Any ideas?

It's hit or miss. Some classes/instructors take an active approach to teaching by asking questions, calling on people, etc. But this is relatively few.

And you're hiding behidn your laptop all day. You could really be doing whatever you want. With that said, most professors can tell if you're paying attn or not, and most don't really care what you're doing.

Some students choose to study on their own during classes frequently. Some do it once in a while, based on if they find that days lecture useful or not. And some students pay attn day in and day out.

great! good to know that they won't be particularly offended. It's good to know that some take an active learning approach, especially with the class sizes (it would be kinda pathetic if they just spoke mindlessly with like 40-50 kids in a class).

I transfered from a fairly large university to a small university, and found the teaching quality, due to the extra attention, to be MUCH better. Hopefully it holds true here as well.

I'm amused at the audacity of your question. When you get to Saba I'd like to meet someone who knows much better about medical education than those who make it their profession, especially considering you've never been to medical school. Hey, maybe they'll make you the dean.



E.

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Wow E, that qualifies as your first.....


PWNED!!!

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AKA ICEMAN

You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous - Iceman (Top Gun)

Damn, I hate it when I'm thick. My first what?

Btw, didn't I hear that you set some kind of record for the step? Ripped AND smart? I wish I was gay.

E.

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im sure you remember the good old days when i used to yell out the word "pwned" in class...im sure it made no sense to you but heres how it works

everytime someone gets owned; like i remember once you demonstrated "pressure of speech" with the extremely tall guy in our class with acromegaly and inappropriate smile, i yelled out "pwned" which signifies you just owned someone and you get respect (or "props" as we say in the street). dont worry its a good thing, hopefully you feel more "with" the younger generation of ValueMD all stars now

__________________
AKA ICEMAN

You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous - Iceman (Top Gun)

You raise a good question. Personally, I found lectures were generally a waste of time. Most of the material in med school is easy -- it is just the volume of material that is daunting. Thus, time is your most important resource. I generally found that I was much more productive if I actively studied during class time rather than passively sit through lectures. I rarely went to lectures and did well in all my courses and USMLE exams. Similarly, I have seen many threads on SDN where students grades have gone up when they stopped going to lectures. The medical textbooks are so well writen and well edited (most are now in their 10th edition or so) that professor's lectures are rarely as good.

There are some people who find lectures useful. The point is to find what works for you. It is your time and your money -- use it well.

Experienced, sorry I offended ya.... I don't think i ever said anything close to me being more knowledgeable than the Doctor's, because I would be a fool to say so. Years of experience has taught me that I learn more efficiently from a textbook, than I do from a lecture. It's nothing personal against people that lecture, it's just not the best way for me to learn. Some people have a very strong auditory memory, but I am much more visual. I still like to attend classes to some degree, because reading a book all day does get a little bit boring.

I cannot say that I'm an expert on medical school, but I do know that this technique has worked for me in the last four years. I've done very well in courses that I maybe attended 10% of the classes. Of course, I only skipped courses in which the lecture did not help me at all. If the class had a prof that knew how to lecture well, I attended almost every time.

I was just asking a question, I don't want to create an argumentative thread.

Cheers,
Mike

Mike:

I'll start by saying that I'm in no way trying to be argumentative or rude.

I am in no way an expert on the school's policy on attendance, but I can comment on one reason that it's in place... In part, attendance is one of the issues that gave Caribbean schools a tough start from the beginning. In the words of the school's president, there were programs found to be giving out degrees to people who only sat for exams in the 70's. For example, you could be concurrently working in some other healthcare setting in the U.S. while attending medical school in the Caribbean. You would just need to fly down for exams. Apparently, governing bodies in the U.S. had a problem with this, and it eventually forced changes in the Caribbean shools' policies. As you know, Saba came along after these problems were repaired, but in an effort to maintain the shool's reputation, they have the attendance policy in place. With all of that said, there are other schools in the Caribbean who do not take attendance according to their students. For example, one Ross student talked of flying to Puerto Rico to study at Starbucks during the semester! I've heard that many of the larger schools would not be able to spend class time calling out students' names due to class size. Personally, I am happy with Saba, but this may be something to consider before starting if you feel that you do better studying on your own...

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JS

• Saba University Class of 2008 Graduate
• Matched - Monmouth Medical Center (Surgery)