Other Alternatives

Most schools use only some problem based learning courses and are reluctant to make such an extreme change in their traditional styles. Emory Medical School Professor Jonas A. Shulman says that he was highly in favor of the curriculum at first, but then saw some flaws in the program.

Shulman says that currently, Emory uses about 20 percent problem-based learning and 80 percent lecturing.

"I think it's a terrific system, but I also can see a lot of problems with it," Shulman says. "When I started I was hoping we'd move towards 100 percent-now I think it has to be a mixture."

He is concerned that students may not receive as much information through the different curriculum as they would with a more traditional lecture format.

"Some students are nervous that they aren't getting enough material," Shulman says. "You have to rely a lot more on your classmates."

Financial concerns-small group courses require more faculty than a lecture-based curriculum-also hamper some schools from following HMS.

Federman says that HMS is "lucky in having such a large faculty and an extraordinary commitment to teaching."

Also, according to Schulman, students are used to traditional learning methods and may not take to change so easily. For this reason among others, he says Emory is not ready to make the switch yet.

"We feel pretty good about the graduates we turn out," Schulman says. "For us to make changes, we want to make sure that the changes will have substantial value."

"The real test will come a long time down the road when we see which group of students does better," he says.

But Federman says that it is difficult to measure results in graduates.

"To prove that the New Pathway has accomplished something specific is hard," Federman says. "Medical students will adapt to anything in order to get their education. But they like [the New Pathway] better."

Good explains that today most medical schools have adopted at least part of the system. Almost all schools have behavioral science teaching like the patient/doctor course at HMS.

But schools continue to look into new methods. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded a project allowing eight medical schools to develop new curricula.

While the rest of America's medical schools tinker with similar programs, HMS says it plans to stay with this innovation for the foreseeable future.

"Lots and lots of schools have followed Harvard partly, but most have not gone as far," Good says. "There's a more creative streak to learning medicine at Harvard."