Lists ten ways in which having medical students in the community physician's office can be of value to preceptors, including providing valuable but time-consuming patient services, following up on phone calls, providing computer skills, performing minor office procedures, reviewing medical records, helping with paperwork, stimulating preceptor…

An expert panel, convened by the National Institutes of Health to address concerns about the future of clinical research, describes a training program at the National Institutes of Health that also included dental students. Possible reasons for low application rates among dental students are ascribed to inadequate dissemination of information,…

Survey of admission directors at 12 medical schools with the largest underrepresented minority (URM) populations found diversity in the makeup of admissions committees and weighting of quantitative and qualitative factors. Although no school gave URM status a specific weight, one added points to a diversity index used as a quantitative measure.…

Compares and contrasts the primary outcomes and methods used to evaluate curricular changes at eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project. Describes how the evaluative data, both quantitative and qualitative, were collected, and how evaluation drove curricular change. Although the evaluations were…

A survey of 126 second- and third-year dental students investigated their preparation strategies for end-quarter examinations, including strategic use of study resources, influence of course characteristics and organization, and time management. Compares students with high and low achievement and suggests different studying strategies. (MSE)

A study investigated outcomes of a University of California, Davis medical school two-day course on managed care on 428 medical students, residents, faculty, and physician-administrators. Results indicate that, before the course, baseline levels of knowledge were low among faculty and trainees, and attitudes combined negativism and wishful…

A scale designed to measure professional attitudes and behaviors associated with the medical education and residency training environment was pilot-tested by 529 medical students and residents in five institutions. The scale's internal reliability was relatively high, and factor analysis revealed three subscales. Results are interpreted as an…

The University of Brighton (England) pharmacy and biomedical sciences school developed an institutional intranet providing course information, Internet links, lecture notes, links to computer-assisted instructional packages, and worksheets. Electronic monitoring of usage and subsequent questionnaire-based evaluation showed the intranet to be a…

A study in a graduate-level occupational therapy class found that questions asked by teachers and the instructional format in which they were asked influenced the frequency and level of student questioning. Subjects were 5 undergraduate and 15 graduate students. It was concluded that improved classroom questioning strategies may contribute to…

A survey identified 15 programs worldwide dedicated to teaching individuals how to direct, research, or improve the education of health professionals. Eleven programs offered master's-level degrees and five offered doctorates. Most had flexible study-time arrangements. Graduates of such courses have already assumed leadership positions in…

Analysis of students' mean scores on two internal medicine clerkship tests at Wright State University investigated test sensitivity and specificity for identifying students with insufficient knowledge, and compared final examination pass rates of counseled and noncounseled students. Results indicate that in-clerkship tests can identify at-risk…

Funded by the Generalist Physician Initiative, Dartmouth Medical School (New Hampshire), Virginia Commonwealth University, and New York Medical College adopted early community-based training models for longitudinal clinical experiences. The three programs, the methods used to evaluate an aspect of the program, lessons learned about early clinical…

Pennsylvania developed a generalist physician initiative, inspired by that of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, initiating a longitudinal tracking system at six allopathic and two osteopathic medical schools to follow students from matriculation into professional careers. The statewide database includes information on over 18,000 students,…

Online technology is increasingly being used as a tool for delivery of continuing education to health care professionals. This paper discusses key lessons learned in developing a distance-learning program. It provides practical information on ways to enhance interactivity and overcome obstacles. Preliminary outcomes for learners in a four-state…

Depression is a prevalent and serious problem among nursing home residents. Nursing home staff members are gatekeepers for mental health treatment for residents, but may know little about depression and its management. We evaluated a didactic workshop for nursing home staff on depressive symptoms and management. Results for 58 staff participants…