The authors describe the development and administration of a substance use attitudes questionnaire to social work students and clinicians, physician assistant students and practitioners, and medical interns. The general purpose for the Attitudes Survey was to collect baseline data regarding past training, current attitudes, beliefs, practices, and…

Ninety-eight internists and 73 family physicians were asked which of six information sources they consulted when faced with difficult medical problems. Results indicate that internists prefer consulting the medical literature, whereas family physicians rely on colleagues and specialists as sources of information. (Author/CH)

A study involving volunteer clinical faculty members in a randomized education trial to improve patients' everyday functioning is described. Participants were 76 clinical faculty physicians in office practice of internal medicine, who completed an evaluation questionnaire at the end of the study. (Author/MLW)

The goals of residency training in internal medicine were assessed by faculty and house staff members using a questionnaire based upon American Board of Internal Medicine criteria. Both groups tended to rate highly as ideal goals items they considered to be their own professional strengths. (Author/MLW)

The number of publications per year produced by a department of internal medicine faculty is analyzed. Publication output was correlated with sectional organization of a department of medicine, the location of faculty assignment, the age of the faculty member, and the change of career goals. (Author/MLW)

In response to the perceived need for primary care physicians, two major changes in internal medicine training have occurred: (1) a third year of general training was required for internal medicine board certification and (2) many hospitals developed primary care internal medicine residencies with an increased emphasis on ambulatory training.…

Results of McGill University's program to encourage early specialization in medicine, surgery, psychiatry, and family medicine showed that: students chose the medicine specialty with increasing frequency; poor performance on licensing examinations may have resulted; the process did not lead to an early career choice; and students did not use…

The value of giving instructional feedback on all test items to medical students following an examination is studied. Also examined is the relative effectiveness of two modes of feedback delivery--oral and written--and the manner and extent to which students use the feedback provided. (JMD)

A study was conducted to assess the knowledge of nutrition of family practitioners and general internists and first- and second-year medical students before they had received medical school instruction in clinical nutrition. The physicians scored better on topics most heavily researched and worse on less heavily investigated topics. (Author/MLW)

A three-hour, two-stage workshop for staff nurses on providing education and psychological support to 148 patients who had abdominal surgery. After the workshop the patients used fewer sedatives or antiemetics, fewer hypnotics, and were discharged from the hospital on the average half a day sooner. (Author/BJV)

Comparison of opinions of residents in two programs providing different amounts of geriatric training concerning management of four geriatric and two traditional internal medicine problems found all had less confidence about geriatric than traditional problems. Students with more training offered more support for nondiscriminatory care of elderly…

Researchers in the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University are developing a new approach for fighting cancer, based on nanoshells that can both detect and destroy cancerous cells. The aim is to locate the cells, and be able to make a rational choice about whether they need to be destroyed and if possible they should immediately be sent for…

Introduction: The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) recognized that certification and recertification must be based on an assessment of performance in practice as well as an examination of medical knowledge. Physician self-assessment of practice performance is proposed as one method that certification boards may use to evaluate competence…

The main objective of the general internal medicine program at the University of California, Los Angeles, Center for the Health Sciences, was to prepare physicians to have humanistic attitudes and skills in dealing with patients. A patient satisfaction survey was used to evaluate the program. (MLW)

A four-week geriatric rotation in a nursing home that emphasized rehabilitation for stroke victims, patients with fractured hips, and amputees, and the team approach in care for the elderly is described. Student response was very positive, student sensitivity was improved, and all students felt the team approach could be applied to later practice.…