Clinical Block Orientation-Day 2

We still had to be here this morning at 7:30, but today's orientation was over at noon, happily. We started with a brief lecture about problem-based learning (PBL) at 8:00, and then we broke up into our PBL groups to work on a practice case for a couple of hours. The case was too easy (we figured out right away that the child had cystic fibrosis), but it was still helpful to go through the process as a sort of trial run so that we'd know what we were supposed to do when we start this for real. If you recall, last July was a very confusing and hectic time for my PSS group because we were just so lost, and it took us a few sessions to figure out how to work the kinks out. So hopefully this time things will go more smoothly. At the end of the practice session, we got back together as a class for a "debriefing," and then we were done for the week!

The PBL groups have eight students in them just like our summer PSS groups did. Most of the people in my group are different than the ones I worked with over the summer, but there is one person who I was with before and am still with now. Even though I still feel kind of sad that our PSS group got broken up, I think it will be good to have a chance to work with some new people and get to know some of my other classmates better.

Next week is our break week, as I've said, and I'm going out of town. So there will be fewer posts for a while until I get back for the next block on Oct. 2.