Patient management problems were found to be favorable methods of self-assessment by an overwhelming majority of practicing dermatologists and those in training, regardless of the type of practice or the number of years in practice. (LBH)

As part of the required Introduction to Clinical Sciences course, second-year students at Georgetown University School of Medicine attend three one-hour lectures on dentistry: restorative dentistry, oral surgery, and various diseases. Contents of the lectures are summarized here. (JT)

An interactive, computer-based teaching exercise in diagnosis that emphasizes pathophysiology in the analysis of clinical data is described. Called the Jaundice Program, its objective is to simplify the pattern recognition problem by relating clinical findings to diagnosis via reference to disease mechanisms. (LBH)

The lack of physician knowledge in the diagnosis and management of sleep disorders is discussed. An examination of physicians demonstrated knowledge deficiencies and a survey of medical schools showed that 46 percent offered no training in the area of sleep physiology or disorders. Recommendations for addressing the situation are offered. (JMD)

A systematic, preliminary evaluation of the impact of a death and dying workshop on participants' attitudes toward life and death is described. Results were statistically significant for one measure (fear of death) in the expected direction but not for two others (attitudes toward life and anxiety about death). (LBH)

A technique for simulating the papulosquamous skin diseases, using a computer, has been developed and tested with medical students and dermatologists to determine whether this type of simulation is suitable for training students in dermatological diagnosis. The results indicate that it appears to be feasible for training students in differential…

The author proposes the training of physicians in the use of a protocol to help a patient draw up a Living Will. The successful use of such a training protocol could begin to meet the existing need for a more structured education in the care of the terminally ill and to minimize uncertainty by achieving standards of uniformity in this aspect of…

The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) is designed to measure health status in terms of sickness-related changes in behavior. Its content incorporates the perspectives of clinicians, patients, and the apparently healthy, and consists of 235 items. Its reliability and validity were supported in a study with both experienced physicians and residents.…

A national survey of deaths (1969-71) was conducted which determined that mortality among young physicians was only 41 percent of that expected for a comparable group of white males and that of medical students only 20 percent. Findings are analyzed with respect to specific diseases. (JT)

A comprehensive training program is described that prepares students to identify and prevent occupational disease, emphasizing public health. Content areas include epidemiology and biostatistics, toxicology, industrial hygiene, safety and ergonomics, policy issues, administration, and clinical aspects. (Author/LBH)

The effect of a combined education and monitoring program on the use of gentamicin in a community hospital is described. The data support the tenet that the ways antibiotics are used can be altered by an education program. (Author/LBH)

A test was used to assess the degree to which pediatricians and nurses specializing in perinatal care believe in a just world in which good is rewarded and evil is punished. Results indicate that the cause of some perinatal problems are more likely to be attributed to parents by health providers with a greater belief in a just world. (JMD)

Medicine needs a revised conceptual framework: biologic concepts need to be joined with concepts stemming from social, economic, governmental, and cultural phenomena. Health should be understood in sociocultural and behavioral as well as biological terms. (MLW)

A film describing tachypea as an early manifestation of congenital heart disease was shown to physicians and nurses at 27 hospitals during regular continuing medical education activities. Findings from pre-test and post-test data show that need-oriented educational programs can measurably improve the quality of patient care. (Author/LBH)

Considered were attitudes toward (1) the patient's inner resources to cope with a serious illness such as cancer, (2) the value of early diagnosis, and (3) the value of aggressive treatment, as well as the belief in immortality and preparation for and acceptance of death. Changes occurred throughout medical school, especially during the clinical…