The University of Houston College of Optometry external clinical program, which provides fourth year students with multidisciplinary clinical activities in facilities serving underserved areas, is described. The multidisciplinary practice setting allows the students to learn about the role of the optometrist and to communicate with other health…

The University of Washington School of Dentistry developed a 36-month formal teacher education program in combination with joint specialty training in pedodontics and orthodontics. The rationale and structure of the original program is outlined and the reasons for its termination are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Discusses assigning medical students to on-call clergy. The on-call clergy help cope with crises that arise in the hospital. The students gain clinical experience through the tutelage of the clergy. (Author)

The curriculum of the General Internal Medicine Residency at the University of California, San Diego, has been designed to prepare graduates for the practice of general as opposed to subspecialty internal medicine. Relevant psychobehavioral topics are incorporated and residents are exposed to long-term management of psychiatric patients. (LBH)

The drug counseling program at the University of Iowa is an interdisciplinary program to train masters degree counselors. Fifteen students are admitted each year in the Division of Counselor Education to enroll in a M.A. program in School Counseling, Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling, or College Student Personnel. The curriculum is…

An experimental, continuing, weekly interdisciplinary colloquy on cardiology is described. It is organized between the departments of medicine and physiology of Loyola University Medical Center to promote interaction between basic scientists and practicing physicians in the medical school. (Author/MLW)

Carolinas Medical Center (North Carolina) initiated a behavioral training program for general practice dental residents to develop skills in handling patient anxiety/stress, obesity, and depression. The program includes monthly seminars, a clinical rotation in behavioral medicine with additional related seminars, and a month-long clinical rotation…

The author describes a summer institute at the University of Michigan to upgrade the teaching and clinical skills of health occupations instructors representing a variety of health disciplines and levels of instruction. She concludes that interdisciplinary teacher education can promote the human aspect of health care. (MF)

Positive and negative aspects of assigning faculty in nursing specialties to teach foundations or basic nursing skills courses are discussed. Students' reactions to nursing specialists' instruction are also examined. Recommendations are made for duplicating the positive outcomes of a multidisciplinary faculty mix. (MF)

A year-long interdisciplinary continuity-of-care elective for second-year, preclinical students in a medically underserved inner-city neighborhood is described. Students were able to learn the skills needed to implement and evaluate long-term health care and to assess the cost effectiveness of various approaches to such care. (MLW)

A clinical geriatric pharmacy clerkship containing three separate practice areas (long-term, acute, and ambulatory care) is described. The program follows the medical education clerkship protocol, with a clinical pharmacy specialist, pharmacy practice resident, and student. Participation in medical rounds, interdisciplinary conferences, and…

At the University of California-San Francisco, a multidisciplinary teaching group from dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social/behavioral sciences leads a multidisciplinary student team in a clinical experience in a nursing home. The program provides specialized experience in geriatric care and encourages teamwork. (MSE)

The primary care clerkship at George Washington University (District of Columbia) medical school, the only required ambulatory care experience in the curriculum, is described. Topics discussed include the interdisciplinary structure of the program, its goals, curriculum and student evaluation, and challenges faced in implementation (faculty,…

Remediation of at-risk senior optometry students is discussed, looking at possible reasons for remediation need and the design of a program to effectively address students' needs, including program design, student evaluation/placement, development of specific skills, and supervision. The South Boston Community Health Center (Massachusetts) program…

A University of Missouri-St. Louis program combines a two-year optometric residency with a master of science degree in gerontology to prepare clinicians as teachers of geriatric optometry. The interdisciplinary program's components include optometric care of elderly patients, supervised student teaching, and coursework in geriatrics. (Author/MSE)