Rats were trained by shocking them in a closed compartment. When subsequently tested in the same closed compartment with no shock, normal rats showed an increased tendency to freeze. They also showed an increased tendency to actively avoid the compartment when given access to an adjacent neutral compartment for the first time. Amygdala…

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has a well-established role in the inhibition of inappropriate responding, and evidence suggests that the infralimbic (IL) region of the rat medial PFC (MPFC) may be involved in some aspects of extinction of conditioned fear. MPFC lesions including, but not those sparing the IL cortex increase spontaneous recovery of…

This case involves a couple deciding whether or not their son should undergo brain surgery to treat a severe seizure disorder. In examining this dilemma, students apply knowledge of brain anatomy and function. They also learn about brain scanning techniques and discuss the plasticity of the brain.

A four-level taxonomy is proposed to define the usefulness of rater written comments for supporting letters of recommendation. The taxonomy is used to classify comments on 220 rating forms by 25 raters from two surgery departments regarding performance by third-year medical students. Written comments were classified by the following taxonomy: (1)…

The course described and evaluated here was developed at the University of Washington School of Medicine to teach 20 orthopaedic residents operative techniques, instrument usage, and safety precautions outside of the operating room without hazard to the patient or regard to time constraints. (JT)

The University of Utah School of Medicine offers a supplemental undergraduate Seniors Honors Program in Surgery. The goals of the program have been to allow students to make more informed career choices, obtain positions in competitive residency programs, and a head start in postgraduate surgical training. (MLW)

A study of student stress before and after a clinical clerkship examined the relationship of favorable or unfavorable stress, as perceived by the student, to locus of control and self-esteem. The major finding was an association of unfavorable stress with poor academic performance. Stress management training is recommended. (MSE)

The impact of breast cancer and mastectomy on women and their families is examined from a family systems orientation. Sexual counseling and family therapy are advocated to reduce the psychological and sexual trauma of mastectomy and enhance family adjustment. Clinical case studies provide support for therapeutic intervention. (Author)

Discusses computer-assisted learning (CAL) in medical education and describes the development of an interactive CAL program on CD-ROM, combining video, illustrations, and three-dimensional images, to enhance understanding of vaginal hysterectomy in terms of the anatomy and steps of the surgical procedure. (Author/LRW)

A study club for continuing education in dental implant techniques at the University of Washington is described and evaluated. Training included didactic and patient treatment components. In two sessions of the program, 17 participating restorative dentists and oral surgeons completed treatment on 12 patients. Practitioners found this…

A study measured interrater reliability among 140 United States and Canadian surgery exam raters and the influences of age, years in practice, and experience as an examiner on individual scores. Results indicate three aspects of examinee performance influenced scores: verbal style, dress, and content of answers. No rater characteristic…

Six medical school faculty evaluated the overall performance of eight students completing a surgery clerkship at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Students were also evaluated by the National Board of Medical Examiners' Computer Based Examination (CBX). Faculty ratings correlated highly with scores produced by the CBX's…

Selecting and evaluating general surgery residents were studied using the Critical Incident Technique for 235 critical incidents identified by 10 faculty members and 4 senior residents. Derived categories of behavior to define surgical competence were used to develop an interview evaluation form and a handbook for interviewing applicants. (SLD)

A 5-year study investigated the effect of training on question-asking skills of 42 licensing examiners in orthopedic surgery. Results indicate that a three-hour training session resulted in examiners' asking many more open-ended and/or problem-solving questions, suggesting the effectiveness of the training program. (Author/MSE)

Objective: This annotation reviews recent evidence that points to the likely role of aberrant neural oscillations in the pathogenesis of Tourette syndrome (TS). Methods: The available anatomic and electrophysiological findings in TS are reviewed in the context of an emerging picture of the crucial role that neural oscillations play in maintaining…