The Reduced Load Program, instituted in 1973 at the Indiana University School of Medicine to allow students two academic years to complete their first-year course requirements, is described. This program was developed as an alternative to dismissal for students experiencing academic difficulty. (MLW)

A survey of 46 physician's assistant programs shows most are two years long and offer bachelors degrees. Typical students are 28 years old, have three to four years of college, and have one to two years of health care experience. Over half are women, and veterans comprise a declining percentage. (MSE)

The University of Illinois's program to recruit and retain minority students is described and discussed, focusing on the effect of granting delays in program completion and the increase in rates of on-time and delayed graduation. (MSE)

Problem areas with the curriculum at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Rutgers Medical School were identified: imbalance in class hours in the academic schedule, excessive number of lectures, and need for more small group sessions during the basic science education. (MLW)

The People's Republic of China's three-level system of education for physicians and all other health occupations is compared and contrasted with U.S. medical education. Aspects of administrative organization, curriculum, faculty, and program construction are considered. (MSE)

Students and faculty at the University of Arizona College of Medicine found the three-year medical program to be an unsatisfactory educational experience due to excessive intensity of classroom work, insufficient vacation time, and inadequate time to teach basic science. Measures of student performance showed no differences between three- and…