The differences between graduates who were in different curricula at Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine were identified. Physicians from the four-year curriculum plan indicated they believed they were more adequately taught than those in the subsequent three-year curriculum plan. (Author/MLW)

Based on questionnaire response from 105 medical schools (33 of which offer 3-year programs) the author concludes that the programs have been a productive and valuable medical educational experience, that more objective studies are needed to evaluate the products, and that they should remain an option. (JT)

The Reduced Load Program, instituted in 1973 at the Indiana University School of Medicine to allow students two academic years to complete their first-year course requirements, is described. This program was developed as an alternative to dismissal for students experiencing academic difficulty. (MLW)

A survey of 46 physician's assistant programs shows most are two years long and offer bachelors degrees. Typical students are 28 years old, have three to four years of college, and have one to two years of health care experience. Over half are women, and veterans comprise a declining percentage. (MSE)

The University of Illinois's program to recruit and retain minority students is described and discussed, focusing on the effect of granting delays in program completion and the increase in rates of on-time and delayed graduation. (MSE)

A study of the achievement of medical students taking a reduced medical school course load for one or more years showed that an extended program may be useful for students pursuing personal or extracurricular interests and for some with academic problems but not for students with major emotional disturbances. (MSE)

The national experience with reduced-schedule residency training during the last 10 years is reviewed. Data on University of Rochester Hospital pediatric residents who chose a reduced-schedule training option between 1977 and 1984 are discussed. (Author/MLW)

The performance of psychiatric residents with various lengths of medical primary care internship during their first year of residency training are compared. The results suggest that first-year residents without a traditional 12 months medical internship are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with those with a year's internship. (JMD)

A study of one physician assistant program examined these factors for minority group students: the effects of recruitment strategies, the effects of educational and clinical background on achievement, attrition and academic progress rates, success on certification exams, and employment patterns of graduates. (MSE)

Problem areas with the curriculum at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Rutgers Medical School were identified: imbalance in class hours in the academic schedule, excessive number of lectures, and need for more small group sessions during the basic science education. (MLW)

The People's Republic of China's three-level system of education for physicians and all other health occupations is compared and contrasted with U.S. medical education. Aspects of administrative organization, curriculum, faculty, and program construction are considered. (MSE)

Students and faculty at the University of Arizona College of Medicine found the three-year medical program to be an unsatisfactory educational experience due to excessive intensity of classroom work, insufficient vacation time, and inadequate time to teach basic science. Measures of student performance showed no differences between three- and…

In a survey of faculty, five issues in which opinions were most diverse include: adequacy of program content, time available for faculty to do research, work demands on faculty, basic medical knowledge of three-year students, and quality of post-M.D. positions obtained by three-year graduates. (Author/LBH)