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.…

A national survey of 69 teaching hospitals (principally affiliated community teaching hospitals) found much variation in direct graduate medical education pass-through costs, supported by Medicare. Analysis suggested variations may be a result of the faculty expenses component, economies of scale, and the contribution of volunteers. Tables and…

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 identified variables perceived by clinical medical faculty (n=20) to influence the ease or difficulty of teaching in the ambulatory care setting. Characteristics affecting the teaching situation included teacher, student, and patient characteristics. Implications for faculty development on teaching in the clinical setting are discussed.…

A study of 1,792 rural hospitals with fewer than 200 beds found an increase of 100-200 admissions per resident--more for smaller hospitals and fewer for larger hospitals. Because increased admissions improve the financial health and continued operation of rural hospitals, this study confirms the importance of education-based strategies in ensuring…

In developing curricula for undergraduate and graduate medical education, educators have become increasingly aware of an interweaving of the formal, informal, and hidden curricula and their influences on the outcomes of teaching and learning. But, to date, there is little in the literature about the hidden curriculum of medical practice, which…

Background: Studies have described the aggregate results of federal funding for health professions education at the national level, but analysis of the long-term impact of institutional participation in these programs has been limited. Purpose: To describe and assess federally supported curricular innovations at East Tennessee State University…

Objective: Nicotine dependence is the most prevalent substance abuse disorder among adult psychiatric patients and is a leading cause of death and disability. This study examines training in tobacco treatment in psychiatry residency programs across the United States. Method: The authors recruited training directors to complete a survey of their…

Objectives: This study aims to document how psychiatric residencies address homelessness and mental illness, to discover training barriers, and to identify educational recommendations. Methods: The authors mailed a survey to 178 American psychiatric residency programs, requesting information about didactic and clinical offerings in homelessness.…

Objective: Alcohol and drug dependence disorders have become common public health hazards. Psychiatrists encounter these problems in a major portion of their patients. However, recent data suggest that their training does not provide them the confidence to treat these disorders. Current methods of evaluating residents fail to adequately ascertain…

OBJECTIVE: There is a developing literature on the use of movies for educating psychiatric residents. This may be the first report of the use of film as the basis of a psychiatric resident acculturation course. METHOD: The author describes an American culture course for PGY-1 psychiatric residents and presents satisfaction and construct validity…

Objective: With the increase in diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, it is expected that more resident physicians will require accommodations so that their academic performance and clinical competency can be measured adequately. The authors provide an overview of the requirements and issues…

Describes a management model designed and implemented at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine to survey and analyze the endeavors of the house staff. Data collected from the instrument developed produced a time and effort profile valuable in the management and improvement of graduate training and health care delivery. (JT)

This paper describes a method for defining the universe of competencies expected of a general internist. This was accomplished by defining the nature of the medical practice, describing the internal medicine content in terms of subspecialty divisions and general areas of competence, and defining a format for describing competencies. The format for…