The American Board of Internal Medicine's experience with the evaluation of clinical skills from 1971 to 1975 based on visits with the administrators of 166 residency training programs is described. Included are the evaluative methods employed by the programs, minimum standards of performance, and the benefits to training in internal medicine…

The "50 Drug Program" is an attempt by the faculty of the Department of Pharmacology at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, in association with other clinical departments, to provide structured guidance outside the realm of formal courses in the study of pharmacology and therapeutics throughout the entire four-year curriculum. (LBH)

The skills of interns in obtaining body fluids for analysis were observed after six months of a categorical internal medicine program. The results suggest that training in the proper technique in lumbar puncture in medical schools is inadequate. Recommendations for improvement are offered. (LBH)

The process involved in the selection of administrators of veterinary medical colleges has changed markedly, with search committees now routinely screening candidates. The administrative search process is examined from an operational basis, including affirmative action and equal opportunity considerations, and use of a qualifications and…

Describes study that compared and judged the quality of subject indexing in online bibliographic databases. Documents from medical behavioral science literature are used with terms drawn from MEDLINE, PsychINFO, BIOSIS, and Excerpta Medica. Comparative statistics are presented on how each database links related documents and discriminates among…

Family practice residents and their spouses from the Albany, New York area were studied to assess the frequency of stressful events in their lives and to quantify adverse psychosocial effects associated with that stress. A questionnaire produced by the University of Minnesota and Symptom Checklist-90 were used. (Author/MLW)

A study involving volunteer clinical faculty members in a randomized education trial to improve patients' everyday functioning is described. Participants were 76 clinical faculty physicians in office practice of internal medicine, who completed an evaluation questionnaire at the end of the study. (Author/MLW)

A study of patterns in second- and third-year family practice residents' requests for referrals found higher rates for the senior students, suggesting possible differences in approach to case management, lack of experience in referral among younger students, and differences in case mix. (MSE)

A study of the influence of clinical experiences on one medical school's students' choice of specialty found that neither early exposure to role models in family medicine nor the order in which specialty clerkships were taken significantly affected students' choice of family medicine. (MSE)

Describes an alternative medical school curriculum for the first two years of preclinical basic science studies. Discusses student and faculty selection for the program. Details the format for teaching biochemistry in the Alternative Curriculum, including program structure, content organization and exams. Evaluates the success of the program. (CW)

Many drugs are used up by the body at rates described in terms of exponential decay. Two simple exponential formulas are discussed. (MNS)

A panel of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) experts at a recent conference sponsored by the National School Boards Association provided useful advice and information to school officials on medical, legal, and policy-related issues raised by the AIDS epidemic. Highlights of the conference are discussed. (TE)

Examines value development in medical school of 200 men and women recent graduates. Questionnaire data collected at three times support results of other studies suggesting that: (1) medical students undergo cycles of value development during medical school, and (2) women show stronger humanitarianism and interest in work conditions than do men.…

Theories of decision-making were used to study the differences between first-year medical students in North Carolina who preferred family medicine and those who preferred other specialities. Students who preferred family medicine were more interested in using medicine as a tool to help people. (Author/MLW)

The goals of residency training in internal medicine were assessed by faculty and house staff members using a questionnaire based upon American Board of Internal Medicine criteria. Both groups tended to rate highly as ideal goals items they considered to be their own professional strengths. (Author/MLW)