Why Lecture-Focused Functional Medicine Training is Not Effective

Author: Jeffrey Wacks, MD

Some people enjoy listening to lectures and find it valuable. That being said, it is one of the most ineffective methods of learning. The reason for this is because it tends to be one of the most passive forms of learning. Passive learning is where the student observes and absorbs material via a communication style that is one-way. When we watch a movie, parts of our brain shut off and simply allow the visual and auditory stimulation to take us on a journey. While the movie is playing, we generally aren't actively thinking about anything. By contrast, active learning necessitates that the student directly engages with the material. Perhaps after the movie is over, you have a discussion with your spouse about the themes, character development, and symbolism of the movie. Now you are turning your brain back on and actively engaging with the material. 

In our opinion, one of the problems with the Functional Medicine training industry is that it is too lecture-focused. Lectures are best viewed or listened to after there has been some degree of active learning to reinforce the material, but very few people are going to be able to achieve mastery of the material simply by viewing hours and hours of lectures. By contrast, reading is a significantly superior learning mechanism for most people. Reading is fundamentally more active than lectures. When you read a textbook, you might go faster during topics that are general or that you are more familiar with, and then slow down during concepts that are new. When you encounter a new or interesting idea or fact, you might stop, re-read it, write it down, think about it, integrate it into what you already know, question it, or look up the associated references to verify its truth. The process of reading a scientific textbook is far more active than watching a lecture. Is reading more difficult than watching a lecture? Of course. But that's the point, you are using more brain power. 

So in our interactions with providers who have completed other Functional Medicine training programs, what we generally observe is that the provider says that they 'enjoyed' the program, they found it valuable, they feel like they learned a lot of information, but at the same time there is a disconnect, they are simply not ready to jump in and practice Functional Medicine. This is a hard pill to swallow because the provider has often spent a large amount of money (often between $10-30k) and time (often multiple years) to go through the program and receive the certification. But in the real world, the certification does not matter, the only thing that is important is the provider's mastery of the material and the degree to which they are ready to implement the material into clinical practice. 

The PatriotDirect Functional Medicine Training Program is Textbook-Focused and Enables More Active Learning

While we do have lectures in our training program, we think of them as auxiliary to the manuals. Students are expected to actively read and engage with the written material. They should take notes, ask questions, and study the material. Additionally, active nutrition analysis, case study presentations, and verbal discussion of mock cases are built into the program.

Additionally, we feel that the integration with the mentorship program is an important part of the active learning process as well. Most physicians would likely say that they learned how to be a doctor in residency, not in medical school. Medical school is where you are taught things, take tests, and get a degree, but residency is where you actually start practicing medicine (under supervision). To truly master the information, you have to jump in, start engaging with patients, and then break down and discuss the case with a mentor. The conversation with an experienced Functional Medicine mentor engages different areas of the brain and solidifies the learning. Additionally, the mentor offers additional insight and clarification on the specific case that can then be extrapolated to generalized knowledge. Real-world practice and discussion are some of the most active forms of learning and associated with the highest retention rates.