Describes the supervision of internships in an applied medical sociology program. Participation covers three areas: (1) establishing a wellness program; (2) maintaining the program; and (3) responding to intern needs. Finds that monitoring interns requires a structure different from academic advising and instruction, and recommends treating…

A review of federal programs for health manpower and major issues in manpower demand, supply and distribution, and roles and responsibilities suggests key policy questions concerning the number and mix of health personnel, health professions education and training programs, and improvement in the knowledge base. (MSE)

The use of standardized course syllabi and behavioral objectives requires the commitment and acceptance of faculty and administrators, but it can also help schools of optometry establish standards for evaluating students and improving instructional quality. Classroom, laboratory, and clinical instruction all lend themselves to writing clear…

As increasingly diverse dental hygienists treat an increasingly diverse population, education will have to be more flexible than current allied health education. Existing nursing education and practice models are examples of effective educational change. However, alterations should be part of a national plan for change in education and practice.…

As optometry expands its science curriculum, teaching methods must be examined. Instructional modalities must fit teaching needs, facilitate and improve student learning capacity, and be efficient; the student must participate as much as possible; and faculty must be aware of what colleagues are teaching and be receptive to new methods. (MSE)

Bioscience education in optometric professional programs must be expanded in scope, raised to a higher level of academic rigor, and strengthened with new faculty and institutional learning resources. However, no single route of curriculum reform will guarantee successful innovation in the basic bioscience education of optometrists; several…

For the primary eye care practitioner in the 1990s and beyond, the basic biomedical sciences have supplanted physiological optics as the primary academic discipline underlying the practice of optometry. Several curriculum development options are available to incorporate the needed material, but a core curriculum is essential at all institutions.…

Four essays address the ethical and moral obligations of educational administrators in establishing the moral tone of the community and the postgraduate behavior of students. Topics include an ethical community; ethics in optometric education and practice; ethics and the college presidency; and ethics and administrative leadership. (MSE)

Current conditions in dental hygiene influencing professional education are discussed. Workplace/practice issues include dental hygiene care as a component of dental practice, content, effects, and quality of care, hygienist supply and demand, and job satisfaction. Professional issues include the knowledge base, definitions of practice, and…

Advances made, and not made, in the education of health professionals in the decades since establishment of the World Health Organization are reviewed. A period of more structured work is now recommended, including more objective definition of goals, real program development, and strategic planning with installation of systems. (MSE)

An expert in medical education discusses the need for change in aspects of that field, including curriculum content, training sites, faculty roles, and collaborative research and teaching, and notes trends and issues in general health occupations education that may have implications for pharmaceutical education as well. (MSE)

Medical faculty must ensure that students understand the appropriate balance between financial and professional considerations. Faculty should place financial considerations in proper perspective and should teach the basic components of professionalism, how current cost-containment efforts may threaten medicine's professional status, appropriate…

Social and economic forces affecting the delivery of health care services are examined, including demographic change, population mobility, changes in the form of health care, health manpower legislation and supply economics, reactions to technology, the consumer movement, and the makeup of the health professions. (MSE)

Guidelines of the Southern College of Optometry (Tennessee) for development and administration of student externships are outlined and discussed, including principles addressing the setting of aims, goals, and objectives; preceptor (supervisor) and site selection; preceptor training; assignment of externships; and evaluation of students,…

The results of recent restructuring of Australia's higher education system, particularly through university mergers with other institutions, are examined. Analysis of the La Trobe University-Lincoln Institute of the Health Sciences merger focuses on goals and academic rationale, the first three years, and likely future trends. (Author/MSE)