Sophomores and juniors in a medical school who habitually did or did not attend lectures were compared on several academic achievement measures. Attendees performed significantly better on grade point averages and board examinations, but these are found to be inexact predictors of performance as physicians. (MSE)

This is the report of a study of the effects of an optional attendance policy on actual lecture and laboratory attendance and on cognitive examination performance in the medical physiology course at the University of Kansas Medical Center. (Editor)

As part of the required Introduction to Clinical Sciences course, second-year students at Georgetown University School of Medicine attend three one-hour lectures on dentistry: restorative dentistry, oral surgery, and various diseases. Contents of the lectures are summarized here. (JT)

A review of American medical practice from 1876 to 1975 is presented in this Alan Gregg Memorial Lecture. Social and cultural influences are described, and it is concluded that the central and essential feature in medicine is the patient-physician relationship, in which physician actions should always be determined by what is beneficial to the…

Evidence suggests that a well-developed lecture script on a topic in medical biochemistry can quickly and easily be converted into an effective slide-tape program that is as educationally effective and well-received as one that is painstakingly tailored to the nature of the medium. (LBH)

The Clinical Oncology Assistantship Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is described, along with student reactions to the program. The summer elective program involves cancer lectures (one week) and clinical exposure (nine weeks) in medical, surgical, and pediatric oncology services, as well as self-directed learning…

A self-instructional workshop is described in which the effectiveness of a text was determined by pretest and posttest. The results suggest that pretesting and posttesting along with self-instructional materials are feasible alternatives to the usual lecture approach to continuing education. (LBH)

The development of a program designed to improve the teaching effectiveness of faculty members of a new Introductory Psychopathology course at the University of Washington School of Medicine is described. The lecture observation schedule developed was used to assist faculty in self-improvement. A literature review is included. (Editor/JT)

A course in Life Support Systems that has been adapted to increased class size is described. The curriculum includes lectures, seminars, laboratory demonstrations and operating room and intensive care rounds to introduce the student to life support concepts. (Author/PG)

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)

A study was conducted to determine whether significant learning of lecture content could occur during a single lecture, which included audiovisual aids and a question-answer session. Results of pre-tests and immediate post-tests showed over ninety percent mastery of the required content. (JT)

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)

Reports a study comparing test scores, study time, and attitudes of students having audio-based self-instruction and those having lecture instruction. (JT)