I see nothing wrong with a modicum of spitback, defined as the ability to report clearly on what you have learned.
1. In the end it's about mastering detailed material and not just about general ideas or improvisation. It all runs through the details, even the ones we don't expect students to remember a year later.
2. The sense of achievement in memorizing material or a train of reasoning is a healthy one.
3. In real life, we are often called upon to present what we know clearly: with the logic transparent, with all the details set down in a comprehensible order, without extraneous details. This is a communication skill. It is very important if you are a physician who interacts with people, or an administrator, or a person using the services of such people etc etc. etc.
