Day 1361: Drastic changes II

Why hello again.

Three substantial posts in a row? My word, what is becoming of me. Anyway, what I am about to tell you is a wee bit complicated but I will do my best to use my broadcast journalism skills to break it down for you. (I may include charts/diagrams/if I can get it together.)

Next year, my medical school is implementing a new program for all of its incoming students. Since this new program has been in the works for x amount of years, next year's class has its curriculum completely in place (aka no changes will be made to their curriculum, end of story). As a result, my class will suffer.

(How will you suffer Jess?)

Well, thank you for asking. Next year, the most important classes are pathology (how and why the body gets sick/unwell) and pharmacology (what drugs we give you to make you better). These two, in addition to this year's physiology, are the three most tested subjects on my board exams. The normal program is as follows:

• Pathology: taken both fall and spring semesters (the entire academic year)
• Pharmacology: taken in the spring semester, with a cumulative exam -- which keeps all the material fresh before we take our boards in the summer

What they are doing next year is: having the first years take some pharmacology in the spring, which means we have no professors to teach the second years (me!) pharmacology. The things people have suggested as ways to compensate are not great, and what it basically means (no matter the solution they choose) is that I will not have pharmacology fresh in my mind by June/July (when I will take my board exams). I will have to review physiology and pharmacology, instead of just physiology. I am unhappy about this, as I am sure you can imagine. There isn't anything I can really do since the academic deans have expressed that there is no way they will change the first-year-students'-curriculum.

Oy. Like I wasn't already screwed for boards anyway. Thank you my darling little medical school for making it even harder for me.