A study using 60 first-year medical students in the Santo Amaro Faculty of Medicine, San Paulo, Brazil, found that self-instructional methods such as guided self-instruction or discussion groups are not superior to conventional classes. Self-instruction does have the advantages of low cost and easy applicability. (LBH)

Students' lecture attendance, course grades, class rank at the end of the first year of medical school, and scores on the NBME Part I examinations were correlated. The data suggest that a significant number of students who did not attend lectures did well academically. (MLW)

Comparison of medical students' performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners test, Part I, indicates that the replacement of scheduled instructional time (i.e., lecture-based instruction) with a guided problem-solving program was not detrimental to test scores. (MSE)

Two teaching formats--lecture and case presentation--were compared to determine which is more effective in continuing medical education. Physicians attending case presentation sessions were more likely to increase their cognitive knowledge, but retention was only slightly higher than in the lecture group. (Author/MLW)

Videotape and lecture methods of teaching administration of the mental status examination in second year medical school were compared. No clear difference was found in results among the different teaching methods, and students tended to prefer whichever method they were exposed to. (MSE)

A comparison of traditional medical lecturing with a technique using a videotaped lecture that can be interrupted by a tutor for discussion or questions showed similar academic achievement rates but higher student ratings for the videotape method. The technique is recommended for specialized topics or areas in which the supply of expert lecturers…