A survey of 182 doctors, nurses, and allied professionals examined health professionals' awareness of evidence-based medicine (EBM). Results show most health professionals wanted workplace access to resources, that doctors preferred to do their own searching, and that health professionals doubted librarians could find relevant articles, suggesting…

Discusses the career and contributions of Modjeska Simkins, a black female teacher in South Carolina who became active in public health and civil rights. Throughout her career Simkins used her home in Columbia, South Carolina as an office. That home is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (MJP)

Identifies and characterizes five major curricular-reform movements in North American medical education since 1765: the apprenticeship-based model; a discipline-based model; the organ-system-based model; the problem-based model; and a clinical-presentation model. Discusses principles and practices and disadvantages and advantages of each. (MSE)

A study used focus groups to allow students, general-dentistry residents, and dental faculty to discuss issues related to learning to use touch in dental treatment. Analysis of group interactions indicated that learning to touch dental patients was often trial-and-error, and uncomfortable for students. A fine line exists between preventing…

Columbia University (New York) dental-school study examined educational/patient care effects of changing from a numerical requirements-driven clinical curriculum to a comprehensive-care model driven by patient needs and led by faculty group leaders. Results suggest a significant increase in number of treatment plans completed by students, with no…

Explains terminology related to the use of the Internet, describes how to find Web sites, and explains some of the sites designed for child-care professionals. The sites included are those related to health and nutrition, early-childhood and parenting organizations, children's television, reading and literature, sites for children, and regional…

The Indian Children's Parliament (Rajastan, India) emerged from the Social Work and Research Centre (later known as the Barefoot College), which provides academic and vocational classes at night for rural working children. These children contribute to family incomes, but previously their opinions were not acknowledged. Students elect 17 Parliament…

A study investigated the effectiveness of two- and 3.5-day domestic-violence interclerkships in improving the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of two successive cohorts of University of Massachusetts third-year medical students. Participating students immediately and significantly improved in each of these areas and fully or partially sustained…

Proceedings of the conference on improving the social responsiveness of medical schools include papers on the role of medical schools in relation to societal needs, the missions of medical schools (from North American, European, African, and Asian perspectives), measuring social responsiveness (perspective of the United Kingdom, standard-setting,…

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)

When early adolescents equate body image with self-image, they risk eating and exercise disorders, with dangerous results. Interviews with two experts present information to help middle school teachers understand the problem and intervene with students whose preoccupation with appearance or prowess can, taken to the extreme, be fatal. (SM)