Analysis of the internal medicine clinical rotations of 43 University of Michigan medical students revealed that students saw many kinds of medical problems but few instances of each and that there were wide gaps in exposure to some typical ambulatory care problems. Student skill gains did not correlate with problem types encountered. (MSE)

This study followed up 50 Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts) students who participated in the New Pathway (NP) program, an innovative curriculum that stressed humanistic medicine, lifelong learning, and social learning. Forty percent of NP students and 18 percent of traditional students went on to practice primary care or psychiatry; more NP…

A review of literature from 1966-96 identified 20 enrichment programs for underrepresented minority college students sponsored by medical schools and affiliated programs. Program design, components, and evaluations are discussed, and the authors call for better evaluation methods and measures to determine actual program effectiveness. (MSE)

A study using accreditation data, institutional self-studies, and accreditation site visit reports on 59 medical schools explored the extent to which the schools have established institutional and departmental educational objectives. Objectives were classified as "robust" when expressed as measurable learning outcomes, and were assessed separately…

Over 18 months, Medical College of Wisconsin students identified what they had learned during their clerkships in each of seven learning settings; the 3,030 outcomes were divided into 48 categories, and the ten most-frequent learning outcomes are reported. No significant differences by time of year or rural vs. urban clerkships were found.…

Outlines 13 priority research topics and 51 important research questions concerning medical education in ambulatory care settings, as defined by a distinguished group of medical educators, clinicians, and policymakers. Issues of theory binding, research priorities, and research design are discussed, and policy recommendations made for the…

Six principles of effective outcomes assessment in medical education are presented, discussed, and illustrated in assessing a preclinical course integrating basic science, social science, and clinical skills. It is argued that courses and programs for medical students and residents should use course-based assessment to ensure that medical trainees…

Describes a review of literature from 1966-96 identifying enrichment programs for underrepresented minority pre-college students sponsored by medical schools and affiliated programs. The review found 19 articles describing 27 programs, of which 12 were evaluated. Program design, components, evaluations, and effectiveness are discussed.…

A broader definition of quality in medical student residency training is offered to guide development of outcome quality measures. The definition includes the following dimensions of program quality: student characteristics; cost-effectiveness; degree to which it meets society's needs; and fair and ethical selection, assessment, and treatment of…

A study investigated the clinical preparedness of 144 Stanford University (California) medical school graduates in 11 areas, comparing it with peers from graded medical schools and rating the accuracy of the dean's letter in representing graduates' capabilities. Results indicate that graduates from Stanford's two-interval, pass/fail system…

Compares and contrasts the primary outcomes and methods used to evaluate curricular changes at eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project. Describes how the evaluative data, both quantitative and qualitative, were collected, and how evaluation drove curricular change. Although the evaluations were…

Pennsylvania developed a generalist physician initiative, inspired by that of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, initiating a longitudinal tracking system at six allopathic and two osteopathic medical schools to follow students from matriculation into professional careers. The statewide database includes information on over 18,000 students,…

Innovative medical school programs discussed include a problem-based, village-centered rural program in the Philippines, a problem-oriented rural program of community medicine in Thailand, a problem-based curriculum in China, and four restructured medical curricula in the United States. Focus is on the results of the changes. (MSE)

A study evaluated 35 research projects from 1970-92 comparing problem-based learning in medical and nursing education with more traditional methods of instruction. It was found that results generally supported the superiority of the problem-based learning approach for both affective outcomes and academic performance. (Author/MSE)

Funded by the Generalist Physician Initiative, the Medical College of Georgia has implemented a longitudinal experience in clinical ethics spanning the four-year undergraduate curriculum. Curriculum structure and content are outlined, and course themes and student activities during the four years are described. Early evaluation findings and plans…