Results of a survey of all U.S. and Canadian optometry schools regarding curriculum status and philosophy are reported, including requirements, clinical experience availability, instructor consultations, reading, optional coursework, continuous care, and student observation. The survey form is appended. (MSE)

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 origin, goals, and development of a clinical emphasis are reviewed, beginning with some fundamental developments in pharmacy practice and education brought about by economic, political, social, scientific, and technological forces. The challenge of fitting the desirable curriculum element into a limited program length is discussed. (MSE)

In an undergraduate Northeastern pharmacy curriculum, students alternate periods of didactic classroom study with the equivalent of five three-month, full-time periods (2600 hours) of practical experience, in addition to a full-time clerkship program. Students work in community and hospital pharmacies and complete the experience with related…

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine has devised an evaluation system that not only provides the advantages of oral examination but also attempts to alleviate some of its disadvantages. The system uses oral examination to assess students' content knowledge. (MLW)

Discusses elements of a nursing preceptor program: specific expected outcomes, legal accountability for students, educational accountability, the preceptor's role, preceptor preparation, resource persons, responsibilities of the nursing administration, and benefits for staff and agency. (CT)

A program at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine that involves medical students in a school health program is described. Students showed a perception of two major problems facing school nurses: inability to obtain communication with physicians, and limits imposed by community practice and school policy on nurses. (MLW)

Experiential education is viewed as a process of enculturation: a student explores the work culture and develops the personality characteristics prized by the culture. Implications are examined for selection, training, and evaluation of students in an undergraduate internship in a psychiatric residential treatment center for adolescents.…

The development, organization, and evaluation of an ambulatory rotation, modeled on the experience with a primary care tract and introduced into a traditional medical residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital, is summarized. Skills in the evaluation and management of inpatient and outpatient problems are advocated. (Author/MLW)

Describes a course at the Indiana University School of Nursing which allows senior students in a baccalaureate nursing program to concentrate on emotionally disturbed children in an advanced nursing course. Discusses course philosophy, clinical experiences, and program results. (CT)

Undergraduates in clinical placement formed a team within a larger clinical team and attended problem-based tutorials. Data from exit interviews, surveys, and team conferences revealed discomfort with the preceptors' role, peer support among students, improved communication styles, and mutual learning between students and professionals. (SK)

Six senior dental students participated in a preprosthetic surgery clinic and then performed implant surgery on patients. Patient reactions were highly favorable. Students and faculty found the prosthodontic phase more difficult than the surgical. Program continuation at the predoctoral level is anticipated. (MSE)

Computer-based clinical simulations used in medical education are designed according to decisions about which elements of reality to explicitly include, which to leave to imagination, and when to intervene for educational purposes. Programs offer many options for structuring the simulations, such as varying levels of volunteered information about…

An Oregon program is described in which physicians in training are incorporated into a faculty private practice clinic. The model encourages efficiency, overhead control, and appropriate staffing; it also provides a useful learning experience in the ambulatory care setting and compensates faculty members for their additional time spent teaching.…

Lehman College's graduate nursing program uses theory-based courses to prepare advanced nurse practitioners. Students increase scholarly inquiry skills and clinical decision making; use of nursing conceptual models helped them plan and evaluate their practice. (SK)