The PCC group composition will change at the end of each quarter in order to allow for interaction among all PCC students. For the small group process to work effectively, students are required to attend and participate fully. True participation will occur when students feel safe to take risks in the discussions in the form of expressing ideas, offering and receiving feedback, challenging assumptions, recognizing deficiencies, etc. However, the facilitators are not just passive observers. The most significant role of the facilitators is to make sure the group participants are actively involved in the discussion and that the group addresses the objectives of the session.
Students are also responsible for coming prepared for the discussions.
Preparation entails studying the learning issues during the independent study periods and actively contributing to the understanding of the case. The success of the program depends on student involvement. The cases are based on actual patients, with the patient information distributed over several pages. The facilitators will present the information progressively during the group discussion, in a sequence similar to that available to the physician. The subsequent pages provide data that will answer the probable questions concerning patient history, physical exam, results of laboratory tests, and ultimately, diagnosis and treatment.