The American Association of Dental Schools' guidelines for operative dentistry curricula include an overview of the scope and objectives of operative dentistry, notes on the interrelationship of the discipline and the total curriculum, and an outline of primary educational goals, core content, specific behavioral objectives, sequencing, faculty,…

Medical students' performance on simulated patient practical examinations were compared to faculty ratings of the surgical clerks and awards of honor ratings. Faculty ratings were correlated with objective measures of the criteria on the exams. The performance of honor, versus non-honor students was higher on the practical exam. (Author/GDC)

A survey conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges used direct contacts with medical faculty members to obtain data on their activities in research. Five specialty groups were identified: medical, surgical, hospital-based specialists, behavioral specialists, and basic scientists. (MLW)

Transfer of learning among the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains and among three clinical disciplines (medicine, pediatrics, and surgery) was examined in the final year of a medical student clerkship program. A model based on ethnographic analysis followed by performance measurement was used. (Author/MLW)

The effects of matching, or mismatching, third-year medical students by cognitive style and instructional mode were studied. Following an instructional period, students were administered an inventory of instruction, a simulation game, and a multiple-choice posttest. Results showed few effects favoring matching cognitive style with instructional…

The Southeastern Veterinary Surgical Association (SVSA) was formed in 1977 to allow surgeons and anesthesiologists in the veterinary schools of the South and Southeast an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas. The organization of the Association is described and a copy of the program for September 1979 is provided. (Author/MLW)

The AAUP investigating committee concludes that the academic freedom of Professors D. R. Celander and S. F. Perlowski was violated by the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. Issues in the cases are cited that illustrate the administration's disregard for the rights of faculty. (LBH)

This qualitative study examined comments of 250 parents of children with Down syndrome concerning facial plastic surgery as a means of improving the physical functioning, appearance, and social acceptance of these children. Most respondents viewed improvement of negative societal attitudes toward individuals with Down syndrome and futhering their…

A study compared the costs of a six-station structured oral examination and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) for a surgery clerkship, assessing both faculty and materials costs. The OSCE was found to be more time consuming and expensive. Cost-cutting measures and guidelines to assist medical schools in selecting test type are…

A survey of 58 dental school periodontics departments revealed the frequency of predoctoral dental students performing surgery, the frequency of specific procedures, the degree of participation or performance of students, incidence of preclinical surgical laboratories in the curricula, and materials and anesthesia used. A wide range in…

This article reviews studies evaluating neurocognitive changes following organ transplantation in pediatric end-stage renal and liver disease. Findings suggest possible neurocognitive benefits associated with organ transplantation. Recommendations are made for methodological improvements in future research. (DB)

A description of the development of a new surgery clerkship looks at institutional background (University of Kentucky College of Medicine) for the project, preliminary evaluation and planning efforts, formulation of an ideal for the clerkship, barriers to change, overcoming resistance to change, and comparisons with problem-based learning programs…

This article considers the purposes of preoperative psychological assessment of cochlear implant candidates, addressing the issues of candidate selection, exclusion, and readiness. Aspects of motivation and informed consent as well as ethical issues are also considered, and specific assessment methodologies, including questionnaires, interviews,…

Background: A prosthetic approach to velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) is not new. However, a collaborative interdisciplinary team approach by a speech-and-language therapist, dental specialist and maxillofacial technician, including accurate fitting using nasendoscopy, has provided an opportunity to define the clinical care pathway, and audit the…

Epileptic encephalopathies are progressive clinical and electroencephalographic syndromes where deterioration is thought to be caused by frequent seizures and abundant EEG epileptiform activity. Seizures occur in approximately 10-15% of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) and 8-10% have epileptiform EEG abnormalities without…