A self-help approach used to enhance medical students' self-directed learning (SDL) skills in an elective course resulted in increased student feelings of self-efficacy, and the self-ratings had significant relationships to measures of deep approach to study. Academic achievement was higher for this group than for controls. Some conditions…

Reviews policy positions regarding the supply of physicians in the United States, from the 1910 Flexner Report to the present, and evaluates current policy alternatives that address the problem of physician oversupply. Maintains that, if future health care outlays increase as predicted, the demand for physicians should continue to grow. (MDM)

Describes the formation and academic activities of the Tufts Managed Care Institute, a collaborative venture of Tufts University School of Medicine and the Tufts Health Plan health maintenance organization. For medical students, the approach has been to blend managed care principles and practices into existing courses, problem-based learning…

Analysis of data on 2,508 matriculates to the University of Alabama School of Medicine found that graduates of small local colleges were more diverse than other students in gender and race; had similar academic performance; and were more likely to come from a rural background, to drop out, or to locate to rural areas after graduation. The need for…

A survey of 129 pediatrics residency directors found strong agreement in support of 7 roles of the general and ambulatory-care pediatrician: ascertain and document health status and risk factors; perform intervention and technical procedures; communicate effectively; supervise patients and support personnel; demonstrate appropriate interpersonal…

The effectiveness of a demonstration-data interpretation exercise was evaluated with first year medical students (N=124) at the University of Malaya. Results suggested that the exercise achieved more effective short-term learning than conventional laboratory exercises, but a need was found for materials to help students link theory to practical…

Results from multiple regression analyses revealed that (1) a lack of clinical experience with AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) patients and (2) antihomosexual attitudes were significantly associated with the students' (N=231) lack of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)-AIDS knowledge, even after controlling for the effects of exaggerated…

The nutrition education that most medical students receive is inadequate in quantity and quality, according to the National Research Council, which conducted a study of nutrition education in medical schools. Faculty members judged competencies that should be included in medical school curricula. (Author/MLW)

Third-year medical students used 12 descriptive items to evaluate the teaching skills of first-year residents, senior medical residents, preceptors, and attending physicians. Intraclass correlations showed that the students were able to judge their instructors reliably. (Author/MLW)

Analysis of results from the National Resident Matching Program from 1980, 1983, and 1987 show students seeking categorical surgery residencies were less likely to be matched with programs in high-density Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome areas. Implications for medical education are examined. (Author/MSE)

A study of predictors of academic withdrawal among American Indian medical students found the characteristics of those withdrawing to include lower age, larger number of siblings, attendance at reservation schools, poorer academic preparation, excessive family responsibilities, and encounters with cultural misperceptions. (MSE)

A survey of 314 medical students before and after a required third-year internal medicine clerkship found differences between students choosing primary care and subspecialties, while undecided students shifted between those groups on several items. Results suggest the clerkship may affect students' image of primary care. (Author/MSE)

Investigated gender differences among first-year medical students' attitudes toward discussion-oriented behavioral science course, performance on course essay, and locus of control. Found that female students generally evaluated course more favorably than did males, and scored more externally on locus of control measure. Found no sex differences…

Medical students (N=341) completed questionnaire on drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and involvement in sensation-seeking sports and activities. Results indicated minimal tobacco use, moderately low drug use, and extensive alcohol use. Increased alcohol use was strongly correlated with heavy drinking patterns in parents and male students while…

A study of 200 medical students' records at Albany Medical College (New York) found that quantity of science-based undergraduate premedical education, either in its entirety or in subdivisions (specific subjects), did not materially affect performance in preclinical years of medical school. (Author/MSE)