A problem-based learning approach emphasizing problem solving and self-directed learning was designed for third-year students entering vision therapy clinic rotations. The approach's use in a clinical setting, student and faculty response, and preliminary conclusions about the approach's advantages and disadvantages are discussed. (Author/MSE)

Factors in the classroom that complement a well-designed optometry curriculum are discussed, including elements of the student-teacher relationship and the classroom environment, and guidelines are provided for evaluating the outcomes of instruction. (MSE)

The restructuring of the oral health sciences program at the University of Alberta (Canada), in response to drastically reduced funding, is described. Major objectives were to reduce program cost to the university and enhance the institution's scholarly/research profile. The model, used in other countries, separates clinical from academic costs.…

Use of an interactive computer-assisted learning program to teach basic skills in obtaining drug information was investigated with 26 doctoral pharmacy students and a control group of 25 students receiving lecture instruction. Findings indicated no significant differences in short-term retention of drug information between groups and that students…

A flexible strategy for large-group pharmacy instruction in drug metabolism has students prepare and discuss answers to fact-oriented study questions, addressing fundamentals covered in a textbook, with regular evaluation of in-class student responses to higher-order review questions. This discussion-based approach has brought sustained…

This summary of a 1995 forum on the cost and future of dental education proposes that the profession of dental education view the dual concerns of cost containment and curricular innovation as a puzzle to be solved rather than as a paradox to be accepted and thus foster growth, development, and vitality. (MSE)

The Medical University of South Africa (Medunsa) was founded to address underrepresentation of blacks in health professions and inadequate health care in the homelands. It trains most allied health professionals in the country, emphasizing community service and preventive medicine. Medunsa and American health professions schools can learn from…

A study investigated the amounts of time that 29 physiotherapy and 29 occupational therapy students in problem-based curricula spent in nonscheduled and scheduled educational activities, and whether students increased or decreased time spent while progressing through academic and clinical curricula. A general decrease in time spent on educational…

A discussion of basic and clinical science teaching in optometry in the next decade looks at the changing role of primary care and specialist optometrists, the training needs of current and future faculty, recommended curriculum changes, and decision making about delivery of this training. The roles of graduate training, residencies, and…

Evaluation by 17 students of a case-based instructional method in 1 course of a dental hygiene baccalaureate curriculum found statistically significant student preference for the case-based format except in regard to students' preparation for written examinations. (DB)

Offers examples of writing assignments for specific disciplines, including the assignments to write case studies in hotel and restaurant management and secretarial studies; chart and progress summaries in respiratory therapy; cultural assessments in nursing; and partnership agreements in accounting. (DMM)

Guidelines of the Southern College of Optometry (Tennessee) for development and administration of student externships are outlined and discussed, including principles addressing the setting of aims, goals, and objectives; preceptor (supervisor) and site selection; preceptor training; assignment of externships; and evaluation of students,…

It is suggested that health professional schools are often dominated by the politics of the medical school, as has been the case in the health sciences at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Experiences of the fields of optometry, podiatry, and dentistry are offered as illustrations. (MSE)

A discussion of the status of the three allied dental disciplines (dental assisting, dental technology, and dental hygiene) gives a historical overview on allied dental programs, assesses their current status and enrollment trends, identifies critical issues affecting educational programs, and outlines a framework for innovation in recruitment and…

The Getting Started Together project is a 48-hour curriculum to enhance health care professionals' abilities to work with handicapped and at-risk infants and toddlers and their families. The curriculum was packaged into 10 self-instructional videocassette modules for people who are unable to attend classroom sessions. (JOW)