A study surveyed 38 rural high school career advisers in New South Wales (Australia) to examine how they promote health careers to high school students. Visits to schools by students enrolled in tertiary health courses and locally practicing health professionals, and health careers site visits were considered to be most effective. Includes…

This special issue presents commissioned papers and responses to them from the American Society of Allied Health Professions Critical Issues Conference on independent practice and its implications for policy, medical care, and professional autonomy. Authors are Havighurst, Hershey, Gillespie, Cronin, Jones, Ramsey, Thomas, McTernan, Burian,…

Presents reasons for introducing Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) into a medical sociology course. States course objectives are to demonstrate relationship between the biological and the social in health and disease; describe crisis for the health system; discuss AIDS in a developing nations context; and demythologize AIDS and increase…

A nationwide network of clinics to educate health care providers about clinical aspects of sexually transmitted diseases has succeeded and led to development of a 13-clinic network for training in the clinical, epidemiological, psychological, and social aspects of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), drawing on the earlier clinic…

Articles by Moss, Van Huss, Raynor, Lynch, and Sullivan discuss the trends in all areas of vocational education. Includes information on how new technologies, life-styles, and job demands have changed or should change vocational education. (JOW)

A University of Georgia pharmacy school survey of 230 preceptors and 73 externs investigated students' competence and confidence. Results indicated areas of weakness in communication skills and therapeutic knowledge and revealed that externs lacked confidence in hospital and clinical practice. Results are being used in curriculum development.…

Development and evaluation of a problem-based, student-centered (PBSC) curriculum, to be implemented as a pharmacy externship component, are described. Comparison of performance of 26 PBSC program and 19 control group students found the PBSC students scored significantly higher on knowledge and problem-solving portions of the exam. Students and…

Describes problems encountered by Bay Mills College (Michigan) in providing transfer-oriented prehealth programs for low income Native Americans. Suggests that the difficulties were caused by misjudging the needs of the community. Discusses a comprehensive survey underway of local professionals and residents to determine interest in health science…

A discussion of effective training for health professionals proposes that selection of strategy be guided by knowledge needed by the graduating student; skills to be mastered; teaching methods effective for achieving these two objectives; and whether the desired knowledge, skills, and attitudes are reflected in assessment methods and outcomes…

A model is presented that relates health promotion and disease prevention (HPDP) education to desired characteristics of medical school graduates, including knowledge and sense of ability in the HPDP field, specialty preference, and residency choice. The model facilitates: program evaluation using standard data sets, and identification of…

Entry-level skills needed of optometrists, as of allied health occupations practitioners, include thinking skills, communication skills, sensitivity to personal and professional values and ethics, awareness of self and individual social responsibility, lifelong learning skills and habits, interpersonal and group competence, and management…

Survey of 233 Missouri trade/industrial and health occupations teachers (72%) and interviews with teachers and administrators showed serious concern for delivering employability and basic skills. Many directors may be unaware of teachers' concern for broader perspectives in vocational education. Dissonance between personal convictions and ability…

Describes a study of the attitudes toward writing and self-evaluation of writing skills of 78 allied health students. Reports negative attitudes toward the writing process and skills deficiencies. Advocates incorporating writing into science course curriculum. (PAA)

The first attempt at optometric education in the Middle East, a program developed at King Saud University (Saudi Arabia), is described. The university's second class of optometrists is being trained in the College of Applied Medical Sciences. Professional identity, limited faculty, and development of resources have been problems. (MSE)

Describes an assessment strategy used by pharmacy faculty to grade student writing in a large-class, lecture-based course, outlining the steps the instructors took to recast an existing writing assignment so that it is carefully constructed and articulated, can be assessed quickly and consistently by multiple assessors (self, peer, instructor),…