this question is mostly for Linda but anyone else with PBL I'm happy to hear from you too -
so - at WVSOM in PBL - I gather that anatomy is studied in concert with the case being studied - but I'm wondering about the lab portion if any - in a tradition gross anat course one knows a group of students are doing dissections as they learn -
what happens for the equiv lab in PBL - are you doing dissections in a gross lab format - or are you using human prosections - or are you not using cadavers at all?
What about microscope work? Are you viewing slides in the 'scopes or images of slides? Or do have a combination where you have lab specimens avail for scope work if you(all) decide it is necessary ?
Lisa,
I love answering PBL questions, so here goes. . .
ANATOMY. . . the first half of this year, while the systems based class is having anatomy lab, we have the use of prosections, plastinated specimens, as well as two cadavers which are being dissected by the instructors to cover our cases as we need them. HOWEVER in January we add anatomy lab to our schedule. We will have 5 cadavers for 22 students, and we will have basically the same lab as the other 84 SBL students, except that we will take each section based on case studies that we are given.
For histo and micro, we all have our own microscopes and we have a collection of slides available. If we need more slides, then we simply ask the micro/histo professors and they see that they are made available. If we have questions, they are wonderful about answering them. And, we will have several days in the lab in the upcoming weeks. I don’t feel like we are really missing out on anything. . . and I love the freedom that PBL allows!
That’s the way PBL works here at WVSOM. It may be different at other schools offering it, but basically I think it’s probably very similar. Please, if anyone has any other questions on PBL, please let me know. I absolutely love talking about PBL!! 
I'm at LECOM, but not in PBL. For the first 13 weeks of school all the learning pathways are together. During that time we take anatomy, histo, embryo, and OMM. After those 13 weeks, the pathways break off and then reunite each Wednesday for OMM.
Hi Lisa!
Long time no email… hope you are doing well!
Example of UCLA’s new curriculum (PBL based). We’re currently in the cardiovascular system.
One week of respiratory - dissection of cadaver of lungs with your anatomy group, which is the same group over the whole year
Next week we studied the heart and dissected the heart out of the cadaver
2 weeks later we studied the kidney. Here we used prosections and had one cadaver for viewing/inspection. They are postponing us removing the kidneys in our own cadavers until we study the digestive system next block (to preserve the peritoneal cavity until then).
We have histopathology lab about once a week where we learn both the histology and pathology (obviously from the name of the lab!) thru gross anatomy specimens and slides. We break into smaller groups (15 or so) and view slides that are already setup for us thru your own microscope or thru a plasma screen TV connected to the prof’s microscope. Slides are always availble to us to view on our own.
Donna