An interdisciplinary faculty of the University of Califiornia at Los Angeles School of Medicine has developed a behavioral science program to teach interns the interpersonal skills necessary for effective physician patient encounters. Curriculum topics include interviewing, problem identification, and situational stress. (JMD)

A seminar series was developed in a family medicine training program to provide residents with some basic skills required to interpret medical studies critically. The sessions were designed to be clinically relevant, dependent on active resident participation, and focused on research methodology and interpretation. (Author/JMD)

At Toledo Hospital, family practice residents have assumed responsibility for the normal obstetrics clinic. Specialty consultations are provided by the hospital's obstetrics residency program. A medical audit of the clinic indicates that the family practice residents obtained consultations and made referrals at the appropriate times. (JMD)

The history of veterinary homeopathy, its future and implications are discussed. The need for investigation into the validity of both allopathic and homeopathic claims is stressed and it is suggested that maintenance of quality is the key factor in any approach. (BH)

To examine the premise that an overall cutting score on Basic Medical Sciences (BMS) tests allows medical students to enter clinical training despite deficiencies in certain subjects, cutting scores on four BMS tests were compared with those of discipline subtests. The original premise was not supported. (MH)

A review of 287 patient visits to a teaching hospital polyclinic shows that most patients had multiple problems that required the help of subspecialists. However, the patients' needs for accessibility, comprehensiveness, coordination, and continuity are as great as those of patients receiving primary care. Implications for academic internal…

Describes development of a curriculum in medical information science that focuses on practical problems in clinical medicine rather than details of information technology. Design was guided by identification of six key clinical challenges that must be addressed by practitioners in the near future and by examination of past failures of informatics…

Forty-four University of Kansas medical residents and nine associated community family physicians recorded their impressions of each patient's truthfulness and related issues after half-day patient care sessions. Analysis indicated residents doubted patients in 19.5% of encounters, senior physicians in 8.7%. Both groups had more negative than…

With appropriate techniques, physicians interested in sports medicine can use their brief contacts with adolescents to address issues of violent behavior. Seizing the moment to gauge involvement and counsel appropriately can be done on any brief visit. The paper presents specific strategies for such teen violence prevention. (SM)

A study of 16 years of records of a general internal medicine faculty at a university hospital and its affiliated Veterans Administration medical center suggests the faculty involved in subspecialties and who have protected research time can improve their research productivity. (Author/MSE)

As industry, individuals, and insurance providers realize the benefits of disease prevention, the demand for information and services will grow. Health promotion activities should be tapered to individual needs and resource requirements of the institution planning the program. Programs should include screening procedures to identify underlying…

A study of house officers' performance of a complete medical history assessed interview content, questioning technique, and interview style. Frequent deficiencies included inadequate social, psychiatric, and drug reaction histories and an overly direct style. Use of detailed checklist for student evaluation is recommended to provide feedback and…

Medical education must put more emphasis on teaching that improves students' abilities to make associations. Two teaching methods that can promote development of the necessary association skills in clinical contexts--"wait time" and "concept mapping"--are briefly reviewed. (Author/MLW)

A discussion of the place of medical history in the undergraduate medical curriculum looks at the evolution and trends in this area of instruction from the late 19th century to the present. Curriculum models and teacher qualifications are examined. An annotated bibliography of medical history sources is included. (MSE)

A survey of 249 students at the State University of New York at Buffalo identified medical ethics issues arising during clinical training in professional norms, limits of intervention, defensive shielding of professional colleagues, respect toward patients, communication, and student boundaries. Concerns differed by student year, supporting…