A new test critique procedure developed by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) is described. It encourages candidates to identify potentially flawed items during, rather than after, the test. Therefore, candidates retain the opportunity to challenge the test, while the NBEO is able to retain item security. (TJH)

Surveyed the use and composition of required procedure lists in U.S. family practice residency programs. Although a majority of respondents reported use of a required procedure list, programs differed greatly in terms of required procedures, and few defined how to evaluate the technical competency of their residents. (EV)

The differences in average incomes of American surgeons and family practice doctors was more than 50%. Data examined from the Survey of Young Physicians and the American Medical Association's Socio-Economic Monitoring Survey shows that just half of the income differences between generalists and specialists can be explained by hours of work,…

Objective: The authors assess whether implementation of work hour limits is associated with a lower prevalence of medical resident burnout. Method: A survey was mailed to medical residents in different medical specialties at one university. Results: Somewhat lower burnout prevalence was reported among residents after implementation of work hour…

Objective: This article explores ethical complexities that underlie resident-faculty relationships. The faculty-resident relationship is as complex as that between a therapist and his or her patient, but it has been far less well studied. Methods: From data obtained from psychiatry residents and faculty members regarding their experiences in this…

Objective: Residency training programs in all areas of medicine are required to identify core competencies expected of all graduates and develop methods to assess and ensure attainment of these competencies. To assist with this process for residency programs in child and adolescent psychiatry, the Work Group on Training and Education of the…

Objective: Evaluation procedures that rely solely on attending physician ratings may not identify residents who display poor communication skills or unprofessional behavior. Inclusion of non-physician evaluators should capture a more complete account of resident competency. No published reports have examined the relationship between resident…

Objective: The multifaceted nature of training and the diverse backgrounds of potential Senior House Officers (Postgraduate Residents) require a novel approach to the selection of trainees wishing to pursue a career in psychiatry. The author reports the properties of a semi-structured interview (the SCRIPT) for assessing doctors short-listed for a…

Questionnaires were sent to the directors of combined residency programs in internal medicine and pediatrics. All the programs emphasized training in primary care and included the use of outpatient clinics where residents often work with nonphysician health care providers. (Author/MLW)

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons and underlying dimensions of the motivations of primary care physicians for participating in continuing medical education. Physicians rated the importance of eighteen reasons for participating on a Motivation for Continuing Medical Education Inventory. (Author/LMO)

Reports on the results of a survey of psychiatrists and residents who received marital and family therapy training during their second year of residency. Data indicate that such training has an immediate positive effect on practice and is carried forward into later practice. (Author/BL)

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) appointed a task force in November 1999 to examine how AAMC member institutions and others were developing, and could develop, new ways to integrate education and patient care. Mechanisms were identified that would aid in reorienting residency programs to education, rather than services. These…

Third-year medical students at Mount Sinai School of Medicine participated in a year-long survey that included self-administered questionnaires to ascertain the frequency and duration of the symptoms of minor illnesses. A significant association between the illness rate and the pediatric clerkship was documented. (Author/MLW)

The use of highly specific objectives can be the basis for a second-year podiatric surgical residency program. They show both residents and attending staff precisely the knowledge and skills to be achieved and aid evaluation of students. A series of objectives is provided. (MSE)

Discusses the trend away from geriatrics training in family medicine residency despite the growing need in society. Asserts that family medicine is failing to seize an opportunity to advance the care of older adults and discusses what would constitute acceptable training in geriatrics and how it should fit into the family medicine curriculum. (EV)