A popular required family medicine clerkship at Jefferson Medical College (Pennsylvania) suggests that ambulatory care can be taught as a core component of the clinical curriculum. Success requires strong institutional support, structured curriculum, adequate patients, dedicated faculty, sufficient training sites, an appropriate evaluation…

The University of Minnesota internal medicine residency program of ambulatory general medicine rotations in rural communities and urban managed care settings is described. Development and structure of rotations, objectives, teaching strategies, faculty development, evaluation system, and elements of successful implementation are discussed.…

A discussion of medical ethics in the medical curriculum reviews its recent history, examines areas of consensus, and describes teaching objectives and methods, course content, and program evaluation at preclinical and clinical levels. Prerequisites for successful institutionalization of medical ethics education are defined, and its future is…

Drawing from survey data (n=138 medical schools in the United States and Canada), a study analyzed medical schools' systems for evaluating student progress in clinical experiences. The 4-stage model used by most schools, common and unique characteristics, and 17 symptoms of system errors, signaling a need for system review, are outlined.…

Outlines 13 priority research topics and 51 important research questions concerning medical education in ambulatory care settings, as defined by a distinguished group of medical educators, clinicians, and policymakers. Issues of theory binding, research priorities, and research design are discussed, and policy recommendations made for the…

A study investigated medical students' opinions of curriculum reform efforts at eight United States and two Canadian medical schools. At all schools, students appreciated reform efforts that encouraged individuation, connection, and diversity. Enrollees at smaller schools with more distinctly teaching-service missions objected to extensive…

From 1984-87, 12 pediatrics residents from the Yale University School of Medicine participated in a 3-year program emphasizing well-child care, developmental/behavioral pediatrics, chronic illness, and adolescent medicine. Participants performed better than others on interview skills and management of behavioral problems, but not in other areas.…

A study investigated the usefulness of a new ambulatory medicine clerkship design by randomly assigning students to it or to an existing traditional general medicine rotation, then comparing student performance on the licensing examination, a laboratory interpretation test, written work, and a problem-solving exam. Performances were the same…

A primary care preceptorship was successfully incorporated into the University of Michigan medical school's third-year curriculum. Key components included agreement across primary care specialties on goals and objectives, involvement of community practitioners, frequent communication with preceptors, active feedback to preceptors, and thorough…

A study investigated the relationship of internal medicine fellowship program characteristics (n=140 programs) to their students' characteristics and performance on a cardiovascular disease licensing examination. Results show indicators such as fellow-to-faculty ratio, training length, and fellowship performance correlate with student knowledge…

Funded by the Generalist Physician Initiative, the Medical College of Georgia has implemented a longitudinal experience in clinical ethics spanning the four-year undergraduate curriculum. Curriculum structure and content are outlined, and course themes and student activities during the four years are described. Early evaluation findings and plans…

Reflects on the collective experiences of eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project, highlighting lessons learned over five years and commenting on issues of leadership, governance, communication, faculty development, curriculum integration, instructional methods, student assessment, and program…