A position paper presented to Congress for the development of legislation for the education of health professions personnel is provided. Recommendations include: scholarship program for minority and disadvantaged students; program development for cost effectiveness, health protection and promotion, primary care, target populations, and…

Patient-centered, clinical-research-demonstration programs for teams of students, preceptors, and faculty members from six disciplines who provided patient care in a long-term rehabilitation setting are described. Questions are raised concerning the effect of clinical teams on the quality of patient care, cost-effectiveness, etc. (Author/MLW)

The Clinical Behavioral Sciences Program at McMaster University, an interdisciplinary approach to mental health education, deemphasizes the acquisition of new credentials and selects students with baccalaureate degrees who are professionally qualified and employed in mental health fields. Students' work-related issues and problems are used in this…

A survey of 55 pharmacy schools found that of those offering a pharmacy doctoral program, three-fourths had a separate course devoted to physical assessment of patients, most offered in the third professional year. Most require students to demonstrate use of stethoscope, sphygmomanometer, ophthalmo-otoscope, tuning fork, reflex hammer. Reasons for…

Describes the Science Fair Mentoring Program, one of the Science Connection programs of the Massachusetts General Hospital/James P. Timilty Middle School Partnership. This program is designed to enhance middle school science education, inform urban early adolescents about professions in the health field, and encourage them to pursue postsecondary…

A study investigating the effects of a two-week early clinical experience for fifth-year pharmacy students on concurrent didactic and subsequent clerkship performance found no significant effects. However, student and faculty course evaluations indicated early exposure to clinical experience was viewed as beneficial. Results will be used in…

A 1988 survey of 50 dental schools found only 27 offered course content on coping with death, dying, or bereavement and none had a course dedicated to the topic. A variety of methods are used to present the information, and generally dental school faculty are the presenters. Only three schools intend to add this content to the curriculum. (MSE)

Explores cost implications of residency programs within the Veterans Administration health care system, particularly the costs and benefits of residencies in family medicine, osteopathic medicine, and general dentistry, because they resemble optometric residencies most closely. Costs of an existing vision therapy residency are examined, and…

In a summer faculty development workshop, seven faculty in different pharmacy disciplines (biochemistry, therapeutics, pharmacy management, pharmaceutics, pathophysiology, pharmaceutical analysis, pharmacy administration) clarified critical thinking objectives for their courses, practiced this approach in a faculty workshop, and piloted the…

Describes a conceptual framework to help pharmacy students and practitioners identify and document drug-related problems. Presents a preliminary description and taxonomy, using principles established within nursing's diagnostic structure, and discusses implications for contemporary pharmacy practice and education, including delineation of…

The establishment of the baccalaureate degree as the minimum entry level for dental hygiene practice centers around three main concerns: changes in health care delivery, awarding of a degree commensurate with students' educational background, and the credibility of dental hygiene as a profession. A curriculum model is discussed. (MLW)

A University of New Mexico pharmacy clerkship in Indian Health Service rural ambulatory clinics is described and its results compared with an urban hospital clerkship. Unique benefits to participants included improved skills in patient counseling and chart screening, more hands-on experience, extensive individual physician consultations, and…

Several approaches that could allow dental schools to conduct clinical care programs more profitably in a difficult economic and health-care climate are offered. Focus is on organizing delivery systems around patient-centered care, achieving optimal care quality, enhancing clinic revenue, minimizing operating costs, and becoming better positioned…

The humanistic qualities of 70 University of Michigan first-year internal medicine residents were rated in 1987-88 and 1988-89 by patients, attending physicians, supervisors, and nurses. Results indicate that all four groups had different view of the humanistic attributes of residents in patient interactions. (Author/MSE)

Current challenges in women's health in the United States are examined, and Public Health Service initiatives to address them are discussed. Regarding women's oral health, special attention in two areas is advised: (1) recruitment, retention, and career development of women in dental research and education; and (2) research on women's dental…