Like any medical school, the USMLE review room is a place where learning and relearning occurs. This could be a typical classroom with standard measurements or an outdoor space where both the mentor and the medical students interact. The important thing is it is a place that can offer a wholesome venue for learning and USMLE review activities, which can be realized only in an atmosphere conducive to both learning and review process.
A good lecture and review room has a stimulating climate – one that results not only from desirable physical surroundings and healthful conditions but also from social relationship and emotional attitudes. The environment for an effective USMLE review session encompasses four factors that in turn directly affect the productivity of each review session:
Physical environment. This includes the location, size, shape, construction of the room itself, the furniture in the room, instructional and review resources for learning, provisions for lighting, heating and ventilation, acoustics of the room, and necessities for sanitation and orderliness.
Intellectual climate. This refers to patterns of behavior, the interaction pattern, and qualities of interaction and attributes that help the medical students think clearly, critically and creatively. The general atmosphere should be characterized by intellectual activities and pursuits for excellence.
The mentor plays an important role in the intellectual environment. He must implement a place where medical students are free to work out the solutions to clinical and medical problems given; such that the students will grow in their ability to be intelligent, self-directing individuals.
Social climate. There are three types of social climate existing in any review session rooms: autocratic, laissez-faire, and democratic. Which social climate is felt by the review participants is totally controlled by the mentor. However, a democratic climate is encouraged where goals are established by group participation and plans are made on the basis of cooperative group learning.
Emotional climate. This pertains to the emotional adjustment and mental health of the review participants. To foster the right kind of emotional climate, the mentor must see that the personality needs of the medical students are met in the classroom. The medical student needs to feel secure in his group. He must have opportunities to make decision and become increasingly self-directing. It is only the effective USMLE review mentor who can provide these opportunities.
All above mentioned factors that affect the USMLE review climate can be controlled by the review mentor. It is up to the medical student to voice out satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the environment in order to optimize the benefits from the USMLE review sessions.
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