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The effect Problem Based Learning “PBL” versus Conventional

education on students in the aspect of enhancing interpersonal skills and

other work related competencies

Introduction:

Coming from Emergency Medicine background, I can till how extremely important for

health care providers to have an excellent interpersonal skills and other work related

competencies. During their practice, Physicians inevitably will face death, disability, pain, conflicts and depression which some times being daily in certain specialties. As

human being, a feeling person has to find a way to cope with the distress that patient’s

condition and colleague’s interaction brings. Although, physicians are required to becompetent Medical Experts they are also expected to have an excellent communication,

collaboration, leadership, and Professional skills (CanMeds; see diagram-1). (1)

The expectation from health care professionals is not limited to how much they possessof medical factual knowledge but further beyond that. Doctors must be able to establish

therapeutic doctor-patient relationships and work within multidisciplinary teams in amanner that facilitates patient care.

Diagram – (1) © 2009 Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

All of these are vital skills and are becoming increasingly essential subjects in teaching

both undergraduate students and postgraduate doctors.

1

CanMEDS DiagramA diagram was created in 2001 to illustrate

the elements and the interconnections of the

CanMEDS Roles embodied by competent

physicians: Medical Expert (the central

Role), Communicator, Collaborator, HealthAdvocate, Manager, Scholar and

Professional. This diagram, also known as

the CanMEDS "cloverleaf," "daisy,"

"flower" and "illustration" was officially

trademarked in 2005 and was revised tomore accurately reflect the fluidity and

overlap amongst the CanMEDS Roles.



As with any human skills, interpersonal skills can be improved through training. And as

shown by Peters, A. S. et al in their study at Harvard Medical School, that the differences

between new pathway program” based on PBL” and traditional students in the humanismdomain first appeared during medical school and residency and remained significant well

into practice, suggesting that humanistic medicine can be taught and learned. (2)

The effect Problem Based Learning “PBL” versus Conventional education on

students in the aspect of enhancing interpersonal skills and other work related

competencies

To examine the effect of PBL versus Conventional education on students in the aspect of

enhancing interpersonal skills and other work related competencies; let us have a brief

description of both methods:

In the conventional curriculum, learning is teacher-centered and comprises large group

lectures, tutorials, structured laboratory experience, and periodic tests of achievement.Students passively absorb information and the acquisition of skills is left largely to

chance and is subject to little quality control, students are inadequately monitored, andfeedback is seldom given. So, most physicians in unstructured ways try to develop their interpersonal skills and other work related competencies for the purpose of getting the job

done.

In the contrary, PBL is learner-centered and comprises small group tutorials. Studentslearn primarily through self-directed study, guided by the problems designed by their

tutors. The curriculum emphasized the acquisition of medical, interpersonal, and other

professional competencies. A principle element in problem-based learning is the small-group tutorial, which helps learners to develop social skills, to function as members of a

multidisciplinary team and to learn cooperatively by sharing their newly acquired

information and recently constructed knowledge. The tutorial group is a source of friendships; hence the group enables students to develop more personal relationships with

their peers and teachers than is possible in the larger classroom. Regular small-group

tutorials in problem-based schools provide peer pressure and natural deadlines for work to be completed and, therefore, encourage students to develop time management and

accountability skills. PBL encourage students to use various sources of information

effectively. Further more, students in PBL will have the chance to develop other

important skills such as; leading a discussion, expressing thoughts and ideas, listeningand conflict management skills.

From this description, it becomes obvious and explicit that Problem Based LearningCurriculum will lead to the enhancement of interpersonal skills and other work related

competencies. However, this claim needs to be supported by robust studies. Hereby, Iwill try to list them based on my literature search:

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rather than to add up sometimes- conflicting findings from different problem-based

curricula compared to the other seven Dutch medical schools ”Conventional Curricula”.

They conducted a Meta-Analysis of Curricular Comparisons, and based on their resultsthey concluded that students and graduates from the particular curriculum “PBL” perform

much better in the area of interpersonal skills, and with regard to practical medical skills.

(3)

Conclusion:

As evident, from the previous description and the supporting above-mentioned studies

Problem Based Learning “PBL” have much more better effect on students in the aspect of

enhancing interpersonal skills and other work related competencies versus Conventional

education.

References:

(1)-CanMeds accessed online March 25, 2010 at: http://rcpsc.medical.org/canmeds/

(2)-Peters, A. S., Greenberger-Rosovsky, R., Crowder, C., Block, S. D., & Moore, G. T.

(2000). Long-Term outcomes of the new pathway program at harvard medical school: A

randomized controlled trial. Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of AmericanMedical Colleges, 75(5), 470-9.

(3)-Henk G. Schmidt, Henk T. van der Molen, and Wilco W. R. te Winkel Constructivist,Problem-Based Learning Does Work: A Meta-Analysis of Curricular Comparisons

Involving a Single Medical School. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST, 44(4), 227–

249, 2009

(4)-Schmidt, H. G., Vermeulen, L., & van der Molen, H. T. (2006). Longterm effects of

problem-based learning: A comparison of competencies acquired by graduates of a problem-based and a conventional medical school. Medical Education, 40(6), 562-7.

(5)-Schmidt, H. G. & van der Molen, H. T. (2001). Self-Reported competency ratings of

graduates of a problem-based medical curriculum. Academic Medicine : Journal of the

Association of American Medical Colleges, 76 (5), 466-8.

(6)-Hill, J., Rolfe, I. E., Pearson, S. A., & Heathcote, A. (1998). Do junior doctors feelthey are prepared for hospital practice? A study of graduates from traditional and non-

traditional medical schools. Medical Education, 32(1), 19-24.

(7)-Koh, G. C., Khoo, H. E., Wong, M. L., & Koh, D. (2008). The effects of problem-

based learning during medical school on physician competency: A systematic review.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'association Medicale

Canadienne, 178(1), 34-41.

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