A survey of 335 registered Ohio pharmacists concerning specialized continuing education investigated practitioner interest in 28 specific course topics, perceived importance of certain program attributes (e.g., academic credit, instructional format, experiential components), and preferences for seasons, days, and hours of course offering.…

Effective communication among stakeholders in public administration internship programs (students, academic institutions, faculty supervisors, host institution supervisors, employers, professional and accrediting associations) increases the likelihood that all will emerge from the experience as winners. The core of this communication is the…

A well-conceived and effective faculty development program should focus on individual as well as institutional development, so that the environment encourages and supports both individuals and groups. Eleven institutional and four individual and group strategies for making development efforts effective are outlined. (MSE)

A 1990 survey of 281 health maintenance organizations found 42 were directly involved in graduate medical education, most through agreements with academic medical centers or teaching hospitals, to serve as an ambulatory care rotation site. One-sixth of these were accredited to serve as sponsoring organizations. Program model types were also…

In the University of South Dakota's medical school clerkship program, students may choose one of three ambulatory-care settings. In one, the curriculum is problem based and student centered to enhance student interest in primary care. The new program has been successful and well received and is being further developed. (MSE)

A discussion of whether the pharmaceutical externship/clerkship experience fulfills all or part of the required internship distinguishes between the two program types, looks at what has been learned from the externship/clerkship, and outlines what still is needed if the externship/clerkship is to be accepted by pharmacy boards as fulfilling…

Organizational aspects of the Shock Trauma Institute at Loyola University Medical Center (Illinois) are described. The philosophies and conditions that helped determine the institute's organizational structure and success are analyzed, and the institute's role as a multidisciplinary research program is discussed. Structures of the clinical,…

Drawing from survey data (n=138 medical schools in the United States and Canada), a study analyzed medical schools' systems for evaluating student progress in clinical experiences. The 4-stage model used by most schools, common and unique characteristics, and 17 symptoms of system errors, signaling a need for system review, are outlined.…

A popular required family medicine clerkship at Jefferson Medical College (Pennsylvania) suggests that ambulatory care can be taught as a core component of the clinical curriculum. Success requires strong institutional support, structured curriculum, adequate patients, dedicated faculty, sufficient training sites, an appropriate evaluation…

The process used by the University of British Columbia to establish and improve an undergraduate hospital dentistry program is chronicled. The program's initial structure and objectives, use of student input for program improvement, and the success of the approach in developing an effective program are discussed. (MSE)

A survey of 58 second- and third-year medical school geriatric fellows found they perceived their research training as inadequate, because of insufficient time for research activities and inadequate exposure to research-qualified scientists. Results suggest a research-focused third fellowship year may be futile without more resources. (Author/MSE)

The redesign of basic science curriculum at the Columbia University (New York) dental school is outlined. Goals included development of a medical continuum allowing students to apply basic science to patient care; decompression of crowded second-year content; and facilitation of student pursuit of research and other biomedical interests in third…

Current changes observed in medical education include alterations in program intensity, length, and cost; a greater selection of teaching methods; clinical experience sites; institutional goals and objectives; student evaluation techniques; and teaching sites. Students are being challenged increasingly to become self-directed problem solvers.…

A study investigated the availability of each of 19 medical school support services offered by 493 residencies in 6 specialties: family practice; internal medicine; obstetrics/gynecology; pediatrics; psychiatry; and surgery. Results show many specialties do not offer common, effective support services. It is suggested that programs move to…

A curriculum project to help dental students identify, reason about, and resolve ethical problems applied moral development theory to professional education, an approach not previously used. The project involved testing student attitudes and abilities and developing learning activities to promote the desired abilities. (Author/MSE)