The regression model can be used to rank resident candidates prior to interview by systematically assigning weights to the information in the transcript and then summing the weights. Much of the judgment of a residency selection committee can be incorporated in a regression model. (MLW)

The experience of two combined residency programs in internal medicine and pediatrics is reviewed. The difficulty for residents of achieving competence in two disciplines is compounded by a lack of faculty role models. Success will depend on the ability of graduates to offer special talents to academic and clinical settings. (Author/MLW)

A set of self-assessment instruments in clinical evaluation was developed and tested in 10 pilot medical schools. Clinical faculty members, clerkship coordinators, and residents at affiliated hospitals who worked with medical students were asked to identify problems faced in evaluating students' clinical performance. (Author/MLW)

Bedside teaching was compared with teaching in small-group sessions with required readings. By creating a curriculum that emphasized reading assignments, the designers expected that student performance on a standardized examination would improve. This did not prove to be the case. (MLW)

A survey found gender differences among family-practice graduates in: tendencies to practice in urban settings, salaried positions, and nonprivate practice; time spent in the office and direct patient care; complex procedures undertaken; satisfaction with income and professional and personal lives; concerns about liability and hospital privileges;…

The characteristics of the mental health components of residency training in traditional internal medicine, primary care internal medicine, and family practice were examined. Internal medicine programs relied on the consultation method and in-patient facilities, and used the psychiatrist as the primary teacher. Evaluation of the outcome of…

A study that demonstrated that a group of medical residents could independently run microcomputer-based patient simulations and subsequently achieve significant increases in test scores is discussed. This outcome supports the use of computer-assisted instruction to provide a core of self-taught material for a clinical subspecialty rotation.…

This study examined whether two variations on the typical Angoff group standard-setting process would produce sufficiently consistent results to recommend their use. The results imply that judgments gathered after an initial traditional group-process session can provide an efficient alternative mechanism for setting cutting scores using the Angoff…

The goals, formats, and outcomes of journal clubs in a sample of internal medicine residency programs in New York City were surveyed. The results of the survey and a description of the club in the Department of Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center are presented. (Author/MLW)

The demographic, diagnostic, and prognostic characteristics of patients treated by house staff members rotating through the general medical wards of the Houston Veterans Administration Medical Center was studied. The data indicate that VA hospitals make a significant contribution to internal medicine training. (Author/MLW)

Various combinations of nonlinear transformations were applied to responses to a clinical performance evaluation instrument that uses a four-point behaviorally anchored scale. The factorial structure of the 15 items constituting the evaluation form was minimally affected by the transformations, suggesting that parametric statistics can be applied…

An investigation to address the issue of which objective factor would predict performance during the postgraduate year residency and to determine whether the performance of applicants from honors-pass-fail schools was predictable is reported. (MLW)

The American Board of Internal Medicine has requested that residency program directors certify the clinical competence of their candidates. The clinical evaluation exercise (CEX) was used by residents at the University of Michigan Hospitals and the results raised questions as to the validity of the CEX. (Author/MLW)

The Alaska Family Practice Residency (AFPR) is a graduate medical education training program for family physicians headed for rural and remote practice sites. Located in Anchorage and affiliated with the University of Washington family practice residency network, the program has an integrated curriculum aimed at preparing family physicians to…

Nine factors on which family practice residents base their judgments about ranking programs emerged in a survey of 1,810 first-year residents: opportunity for experience, resident compensation, academic orientation, quality of educational environment, program stability, geography, faculty, future practice opportunities, and curriculum. (MSE)