In instituting the alternate learning pathways (ISP, PBL and PCSP) at LECOM, the college recognizes that learning styles differ among students and that such alternative pathways, through the basic and clinical sciences of OMS I and OMS II years, offer unique advantages to many students.

Some of these advantages and some special characteristics of the ISP are:

• ISP helps in turning students into “lifelong learners,” reinforcing learning skills needed throughout a physician’s career. The program is especially suited for students who possess skills in self-education and time management, and in particular, the ability to efficiently learn without a constant dependence on instructors. All of these are important professional assets to the practicing physician and define “lifelong learners.” It should be noted that there is no statistical evidence to demonstrate the superiority of any pathway; however, after completing the curriculum, most ISP students do believe that the ISP curriculum aids them in developing learning skills that are necessary for an effective clinical educational experience during their OMS III and OMS IV years of medical school.
• ISP involves an active learning process, with students being responsible for their own learning and progress. By practicing the self-discipline necessary to direct their own efforts to achieve mastery of subjects, students receive the self-satisfaction that comes from independent learning, which in turn motivates them to continue learning. In this process, faculty members become facilitators rather than dispensers of knowledge, and they are utilized for learning more difficult concepts, consulted for clarification, help in determining additional resources or answer specific questions.
• While each ISP module has a finishing date, learning within the pathway is self-paced as students arrange their studies as they see fit. In so doing, more time can be devoted to areas that a student may find very difficult or wish to pursue more in depth, while less time may be spent on material already mastered in previous undergraduate courses.
• Faculty can use a greater variety of teaching materials. In choosing learning resources for the ISP students, faculty may specify texts, articles, web sites and other audio-visual resources for study. In turn, the module approach provides the freedom for students who want more information to use optional or additional resources for gaining in-depth knowledge.
• Independent study is considered by some students to be less stressful as they feel a flexible schedule is less onerous than a rigid one; however, such flexibility requires excellent time-management and discipline.

Obviously, a special program such as ISP, has certain disadvantages that may make either the LDP or PBL a better choice for certain students:

• Students who cannot manage time well may do poorly in the ISP. An ISP student must be well organized and able to set reasonable time schedules for themselves and hold to them with effective study.
• ISP students must be well disciplined against outside distractions and procrastination. The fixed lecture and exam schedule of the LDP are great motivators to study; some students study more effectively with a strict schedule, and these students are not appropriate candidates for the ISP.
• Students who feel they need to learn everything in-depth, and, accordingly, do exceptionally well on exams when they finally feel prepared to take them, may move too slowly to be part of the ISP. Because of the large quantity of material that medical students must process through the two preclinical years, it is impossible for most students to master all learning objectives. For many students, the continuous prodding of a lecture-based program might be more appropriate.
• While many students may have developed some independent study habits while in college, some have not honed these and it may take a little time to develop appropriate study habits for the ISP. In the case of some students, the use of time to develop such skills may leave them with insufficient time to master the material and thus, creates a disadvantage. However, it is recognized that all students require an adjustment period for developing a study approach and learning how to best budget their time. For this purpose, early-on the ISP curriculum is slowly introduced and geared towards allowing time to develop independent study skills.