Mastering Problem-Based Learning in Health Profession Programs Principles, Procedures, and Best Practices

Santiago Lorenzo, PhD is an Assistant Dean of Preclinical Education and Associate Professor of Physiology at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Bradenton (FL). He has served as Director of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Director of Student Assessment and Test Management at LECOM for over a decade. His extensive experience in these roles, along with his work as a PBL facilitator since 2012, has given him deep insight into the structure, challenges, and proven effectiveness of PBL in preparing preclinical students for board examinations and clinical training. As Assistant Dean, Dr. Lorenzo is responsible for overseeing and advancing the core educational strategies of the preclinical curriculum. In his continued leadership of the PBL program, his duties include facilitator training, session scheduling, exam design, and ongoing program assessment. He regularly reviews and implements curriculum improvements to ensure the consistent quality and effectiveness of the PBL experience for first- and second-year medical students.

Bei Zhang MD, PhD, MLS (ASCP)CM has extensive experience in higher education at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She has taught Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in diverse settings, from liberal arts and allied health programs to medical schools, across traditional and online classrooms. As the Director of Innovative Curriculum Design and Instruction and the Director of Master’s Degree in Pathology at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, Dr. Zhang teaches both medical and graduate students and is actively involved in the course and curriculum designs. She is a dedicated education scholar, regularly publishing and presenting at national/international conferences. Her publications have covered a variety of teaching practices. In 2018, she was selected as a Distinguished Author by the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science.