Reports a study that examined the current HIV and AIDS knowledge and attitudes of 63 preclinical medical students. Survey data indicated that a significant portion of the subjects had poor knowledge and had attitudes that might have an adverse impact on their care of AIDS patients. (SM)

Medical-career aspirations prior to college are examined in longitudinal data (N=27,065; 59.1% female). Men and women aspire to medical careers at roughly the same rate and for mostly the same reasons, but the strength of influence varies significantly for certain factors. Fewer women maintain medical-career aspirations during college. (Author/EMK)

We used the following multiple-choice question after a series of lectures in cardiovascular physiology in the first year of an undergraduate medical curriculum (n = 66) to assess whether students had understood the neural regulation of cardiovascular function. In health, neural cardiovascular mechanisms are geared toward maintaining A) cardiac…

This study examined the validity of using stories to appraise career dispositions and problems associated with career adaptability. Premedical students (63 women, 37 men) wrote narratives about Thematic Apperception Test cards (TAT) and responded to the Strong Interest Inventory (SII). Independent raters identified identical career adaptability…

Activities of the Pre-Medical Enrichment Program, sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) are designed to increase the number of minority and low-income students who are unable to successfully compete for admission to medical school as well as successfully complete a medical degree. (NQA)

Are traditional laboratories in the core introductory biology courses teaching physiology majors the art and trade of science, or simply leaving them with a memory of trivial experiments done for unknown reasons? Our students, a population dominated by premed and physiology majors, think the latter and have encouraged us to challenge this model,…

In this article, we report on an experiment designed to improve the learning of metabolic biochemistry by nutrition and medical undergraduate students. Twelve students participated in a monitored lunch and had their blood extracted for analysis: (1) before lunch; (2) 30 min after lunch; and (3) 3 h after lunch. The subjects were divided in two…

A handbook on the medical school admissions process is presented, offering a first hand account of what works. Six chapters discuss the following topics and subtopics: (1) premedical preparation (planning undergraduate study and picking the right college); (2) power techniques for higher grades (techniques for grade point success, improving grades…

Discusses issues related to the physics concepts/topics needed by health professionals, suggesting that medical students can better understand how the body works by completing meaningful physics courses. Also addresses related concerns expressed by medical students and faculty. A list of 41 physics topics cross-referenced to medical topics is…

A national sample of college students who initially aspired to be, or later became, physicians was used to determine the influence of precollege characteristics, college origins, and the academic and social experience of college. Major effects on attainment were college characteristics and academic experience. (Author/MLW)

Choices of courses and academic performances of premedical students were investigated at two liberal arts colleges. Four hypotheses were tested related to the areas of science concentration in the students' overall academic programs, breadth of the programs, depth of study in subjects outside science, and the grades achieved in all areas.…

Offers advice on helping students to gather information about the title professions, seek health-related experience, and prepare academically competitive portfolios. Discusses admission procedures, including application timelines, standardized tests, interviews, and letters of evaluation. (EV)

University of Calgary pre-medical students were surveyed before and after completing a mandatory 4-week rural clerkship in family medicine. The rural educational experience increased student intentions to do a rural medical locum. Students from rural backgrounds were more likely than urban peers to intend to do a rural locum and practice in a…

A study of 200 medical students' records at Albany Medical College (New York) found that quantity of science-based undergraduate premedical education, either in its entirety or in subdivisions (specific subjects), did not materially affect performance in preclinical years of medical school. (Author/MSE)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the admission process for an undergraduate research program in health science and to assess the students' statement of purpose for entering the program. Admission data (high school marks, supplementary application information, and overall rater score) and first-year GPA…