An introduction to the study of medicine: phase I of the McMaster M.D. program

"Phase I" describes the initial 11 weeks of study in the M.D. training program offered by the Faculty of Medicine of McMaster University. This three-year program stresses the responsibility of students for their own education, encourages self-directed learning using realistic biomedical problems, and offers little didactic instruction. Students are assigned to tutorial groups, and much of the educational thrust of the program is built upon interactions within these groups. Phase I is designed to allow students to adapt to a less structured environment, and intensive faculty support is available. The successes and failures of Phase I of the program were examined using a combined questionnaire and interview at various stages during the 11-week period. Not all program goals were satisfactorily measured, but those that could be assessed appeared to have been attained by most students.