Describes the fundamental difference between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and holistic medicine, highlighting holistic medicine's emphasis on the promotion of healthy lifestyles for practitioners and patients alike. Asserts that offering physicians-to-be more course work in holistic medicine could lay the groundwork for future…

A successful seven-day course offered to third-year medical students is an integrated program for teaching them how to deal with terminal illness. The course uses lectures, audiovisual aids, and group and individual sessions to enhance self-awareness and practical application of the material in a clinical setting. (Author/MSE)

Assessed students' competence in addressing the health beliefs and cultural concerns of a standardized patient, an African American woman with diabetes, during a clinical interview. Found that minority students displayed greater competence in addressing the patient's concerns about altering culturally-based dietary behaviors; white students…

A study of changes in hospital care suggests that for medical students and residents to be exposed to the same case mix of clinical disorders seen in the hospital in 1980, they must have experience in the ambulatory setting. (Author/MSE)

Describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a curriculum module on end-of-life care developed by medical students and implemented at Stanford University School of Medicine. The curriculum teaches students a protocol for communicating with patients when breaking bad news and discussing treatment options. (EV)

Explored how primary care clinician-teachers actually attempt to convey empathy to medical students and residents. Found that they stress the centrality of role modeling in teaching, and most used debriefing strategies as well as both learner- and patient-centered approaches in instructing learners about empathy. (EV)

Surveyed 297 matriculating medical students at 3 Chicago medical schools concerning their willingness to treat HIV-infected patients. Found that 92% of the students agreed that patients with HIV would be welcome in their medical practices. Fear of infection and homophobia were associated with decreased willingness to treat. (MDM)

Comparison of two medical school human sexuality training approaches, one in which students had no experience taking a sexual history and another in which students conducted or observed a sexual history interview, found the latter more effective in conveying knowledge of sexuality and appropriateness and skill in taking sexual histories.…

A total of 200 patients were interviewed at 2 out-patient settings to quantify the patients' perspectives on their illness by measuring their requests for help. Results showed specific requests were made by most patients that focused either on the problem and/or the treatment. (GLR)

Examined medical school education on relating to terminally ill patients based on data from national surveys conducted in 1975, 1985, and 1995. The number of schools offering occasional lectures or short courses on death and dying increased from 80% in 1975 to 82% in 1985 to 90% in 1995. (MDM)

Difficulty in identifying and eliciting information on domestic abuse is exacerbated by social, economic, and cultural factors. Study of the relationships between race/ethnicity/culture and domestic violence must be incorporated into both research and medical school curricula to sensitize students and enable them to develop skills for detecting,…

Compared the effectiveness of pelvic examination training given to medical students by a laywoman who served as both teacher and patient with training by an attending physician with a laywoman serving only as the patient. Found that the laywoman-trained students demonstrated better interpersonal skills than did physician-trained students. No…

Surveys of first- and fourth-year Johns Hopkins University (Maryland) medical students found little change in attitudes about abortion over four years. Attitudes correlated most strongly with personal beliefs about when a fetus is considered human life and somewhat with student gender. Results are used in a medical ethics course to illuminate…

Using Giroux's concept of "insurgent multiculturalism," suggests that the critical study of culture might be a bridge to certain aspects of doctors' professional development. Explains that insurgent multiculturalism moves inquiry away from a focus on non-dominant groups to a study of how unequal distributions of power allow some groups but not…

Describes key themes and components of culture in health care for incorporation into undergraduate medical education. These include teaching the rationale for learning about culture in health care; "culture basics"; data on and concepts of health status; tools and skills for productive cross-cultural clinical encounters; characteristics and…