There are a few things that I have noticed about the medical students here in Nepal at PAHS. They never take notes during lectures. Not ever. It is strange to look out at a sea of faces who are intently watching you. It's a good thing but I have no idea how they remember what was said. Maybe they have become reliant on the fact that they will be getting the lecture slides at a later date.
They also tend to rely on anecdotal evidence rather than their research in PBL. They are much more "sure" of themselves than students I have seen in Canada. It's almost an overconfidence. They are quick to believe each other without any evidence. They back down when challenged easily and won't counter a more confident student. Of course I see this in Canada but not as much as I have seen it here.
I also see the students coming to PBL with their notebooks and one student is using an old daytimer for his research and PBL notes. It's a nice reuse of resources!
Overall I am finding them to be very eager, inquisitive and smart! It feels a bit like they might need more introductory science before we jump into the UBC 1st year equivalent..?
Good morning, Jane. I'm curious about the exams the med students at PAH take. Are they comparable to those the students at the MDUP take? Do they take written, OSCE, etc. exams? Are they tested at the same level as MDUP students in Canada are?
ReplyDeletehey Jane! We are all loving your blog. The kids love:
ReplyDelete1. that you have mentioned their names
2. that you are addicted to nutella (how the heck did that happen!?)
3. that someone sat on you on a bus
4. the word tuktuk
5. that dogs bark all the time
6. that you are having fun
above all else, they love that you were attacked by a monkey. actually, taht you were cool with it (not that you were attacked).
We miss you and can't wait to see you. We all think you are absolutely amazing. We love you!! Cab't wait to celebrate your and Ruby's b-days!
I am so glad that you like the blog! I want to Skype with Olivia, Liam and Ruby!! Two people brought Nutella from outside of Nepal to me...Joan's daughter Shanon and Daniel! Now I couldn't be happier. I seriously eat a huge spoonful of Nutella (at least) every single morning...I am not kidding...just off a spoon...
ReplyDeleteDid you know that some woman in the States is sueing the makers of Nutella for false advertising. She learned that Nutella is actually NOT part of a healthy breaskfast. Can you believe that? Yeah, the rest of us eat it knowing full well it's tasty crap, and we're cool with that.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, interesting about the students. Where do they get this sense of assuredness from? Is it a cultural thing? I.e. physicians are still revered in Nepal (they could say pretty much whatever they want and people will trust them), as opposed to back home where we border on being disdained sometimes (and thus we must be more flexible and modest.) Hmmmm, fascinating.
That is TOO funny! How in the world could anyone actually think that Nutella was truly healthy? It is a chocolate spread!!! I should update that I now have 4 jars of Nutella in this apartment.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what it is that gives the students this assuredness. In other ways they are very meek and passive...
I think your assessment might be right. Education is still not something that everyone has access to here in Nepal - at all. And certainly not medical school.
It is quite fascinating to me.