A survey of 61 teaching hospitals concerning mechanisms for clinical evaluation found about a third had clinical evaluation units, primarily supported by hospital administrations rather than medical school deans. Eighteen respondents had clinical evaluation activities integrated into the medical staff hierarchy and dispersed throughout departments…

Medical student organizations, such as the American Medical Student Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges' Organization of Student Representatives, and the American Academy of Family Physicians' National Congress of Student Members, are responding to the increased need for generalist physicians, through community-based…

A study contrasted the long-term (one year) retention of material acquired primarily through lectures and assigned independent study readings. Subjects were 16 female 3rd-year medical students. Results indicate the study methods did not differ consistently in knowledge loss or class performance, despite substantial individual differences.…

Analysis of 110 state and federal court decisions from 1950-89 involving medical students and undergraduate medical education found 51 percent were disputes over general issues, most concerning admissions and dismissal. Recently, readmission, course repetition, and cheating have been increasingly addressed. Medical schools have generally prevailed…

A study of factors influencing medical students to choose primary care careers, in contrast with high-technology careers, found students attracted by opportunity to provide direct care, ambulatory care, continuity of care, and involvement in psychosocial aspects of care. Age, race, gender, marital status, and some attitudes were not influential.…

This time-motion study of eight internal medicine residents found that, when the physician was the patient's primary medical manager, physician-level skills were required 50 percent of the time, whereas use of an alternative model in which a midlevel practitioner performed day-to-day patient monitoring dropped the rate to 20 percent. (Author/DB)

The University of Kentucky Medical Center has developed a preceptorship program in which a new resident physician is paired with a nurse to assist for an eight-hour shift. The program has given residents familiarity with hands-on nursing care, increased appreciation of nursing responsibilities, and fostered better communication with both nurses…

The effects of reviewing items and altering responses on the efficiency of computerized adaptive tests and resultant ability estimates of the examinees were explored for medical technology students (220 students could and 492 students could not review and alter their responses). Data do not support disallowing review. (SLD)

A study of stress, coping, depression, and somatic distress among students (n=69) in a University of Mississippi psychiatry clerkship found clinical levels of depression in almost one-fourth of the group and high levels of somatic distress in over one-half. Coping strategies appeared useful to students, and training in coping is recommended.…

A study with two graduate medical student cohorts (n=18, n=20) supports use of a structured protocol for student credentialing that includes stringent monitoring of the entire process and formal, regular feedback to housestaff regarding progress. Students credentialed with the revised monitoring showed significant improvement in results.…

Five studies involving medical students over a four-year period were conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the Medical Helping Relationship Inventory (MHRI)--an instrument for evaluating medical communication skills. Evidence of the MHRI's construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity is discussed. (SLD)

A survey of 200 medical students questioned 2 years apart investigated their willingness to treat Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patients. Overall, the students became more restrictive in their attitudes toward these patients, felt less personal obligation for their care, and were less likely to use infection-control methods to ensure…

A study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine evaluated the predictive value of the rank list generated in evaluating applicants for a surgery residency. Rough rankings computed directly from ratings of applicants were found to be more predictive of first year residents' performance than faculty's final rankings…

Six personal statements of interest in a residency, each from a different type of fictitious candidate, were randomly selected for mailing to 2,478 board-certified Ohio physicians practicing in 6 specialties in which women are underrepresented and 3,586 physicians in specialties in which women are overrepresented. Physicians consistently rated…

A study of a medical student clinical assessment program since 1986 at the University of Massachusetts indicates student awareness of increased faculty observation and increased feedback to students during and following clinical rotations. Results indicate a conscious faculty effort to improve students' clinical skills by improved observation and…