Describes proceedings of a meeting of the Association of American Medical Schools' Forum on the Future of Academic Medicine, focusing on ways in which medical schools can and are responding to changing, more competitive marketplaces for health services while sustaining their missions; the health care industry perspective; and characteristics of…

An analysis of the state of postdoctoral clinical dental training looks at current enrollment level and trends, trends in faculty positions and demand for them, student characteristics, student objectives in pursuing postdoctoral education, trends in specialty and general practice, and implications for future postdoctoral general dentistry…

A study investigated the experiences and attitudes of students and faculty in three dental schools in England, Netherlands, and the United States concerning computer-assisted learning (CAL), including their access to computers at home and at school, experience with interactive multimedia, and familiarity with the technique. Implications for use of…

A survey of 138 dental hygiene program directors found dissatisfaction with program assessment practices and use of assessment data. Most use alumni/employer surveys and curriculum evaluations by students, but share results mostly with faculty. They use the data for curriculum revision but not for adding assessment measures, student remediation,…

Examines the role of the tutor in the problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum at the University of Queensland (Australia) dental school, discussing changes in this role across the four years in which PBL is used. Explores different varieties of PBL, as well as group learning, tutor-free groups, the reflective role of tutors, and desirable tutor…

A study compared the performance on a national licensing examination of University of Southern California dental students in problem-based learning (PBL) versus those in conventional educational tracks. PBL track students scored significantly higher in all four discipline-based portions of the exam and also in the aggregate, and scored well in…

Abuse of medical students is discussed, based on recent national surveys and focusing on the most common forms, belittling and humiliation, which appear to be misguided efforts to reinforce learning. It is argued that use of such aversive methods is likely to foster insensitive and punitive behaviors, passed from teacher to learner and potentially…

Study using Association of American Medical Colleges data investigated relationship between medical school admission practices at public and private institutions and proportions of matriculants at each school interested in general practice, rural practice, practice in socioeconomically deprived areas. Results show public schools and those with…

A survey of 754 University of California at San Francisco doctoral pharmacy graduates from 1980 to 1994 investigated how managed care affected practice patterns and perceptions of the profession. Graduates generally remained satisfied with their education and were optimistic about the profession. Although managed care has created a stressful…

Describes a classroom project in which pharmacy student teams developed a World Wide Web page to market a hypothetical pharmacy and promote pharmaceutical care services. The exercise successfully involved students in using both creative and analytic skills to gain hands-on experience in constructing a mission statement and marketing plan for a new…

The increasing diversity of learners and their preferences coupled with increasing usage of the computer and Internet prompted the need for testing and verifying the ways that knowledge can be delivered and learned effectively. This research addresses these concerns by comparing the results of a college course, hospitality human resource…

Gerontology, geriatrics, and aging studies (GGA) academic programs are charged to produce competent graduates to work in the field of aging. The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education recommends core courses that are required in GGA academic programs throughout the United States. This article reports findings on the role of the core…

This study longitudinally tracks 10th grade students for 4 years regarding their persistence in aspirations of teaching careers using a nationally representative sample (National Educational Longitudinal Survey of 1988). Factors contributing to persistence in aspirations of teaching careers are examined based on the social-cognitive career theory…

The concept of knowledge building communities has not traditionally been associated with agricultural extension, but is one which has the potential to increase the rate of adoption of best management practices by the industry. A potentially important mechanism to facilitate knowledge building is information and communication technology (ICT);…

The public profiling of schools as "effective schools", based on Grade 12 results, has resulted in a jingoistic race by many public schools to get their names on the "public notice board" of effectiveness recognition. Besides creating a skewed perception of school effectiveness, this public profiling of schools as effective…