An organizational structure was developed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for a pediatric nephrology elective. A study guide and format ensure that students have a common knowledge base--the lack of which has been a problem in electives--and allows them to participate in patient problems. (LBH)

A two-week course was offered to first-year medical students in physician lifestyle management: practice management, health maintenance, marriage and the family, and physician disability. The course exposes students to actual practices and nonprofessional aspects of the physician's life. The course was rated highly and may be helpful in student…

A course for second-year medical students at Wright State University covers the construction of physical facilities for the delivery of health care. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive orientation to the subject and to develop an appreciation for the complexities involved. (MLW)

A seven-week seminar Northwestern University introduces medical students to a comprehensive approach to biological, psychological, and social aspects of AIDS. The course includes: a television movie and documentary film; roundtable discussions with AIDS patients, volunteers, and health care professionals; reading materials and lectures; and…

First-year medical students participating in a psychiatry elective course experienced both a smaller decrease in satisfaction with school and student-faculty relationships and less loneliness than nonparticipants during the study period. Sex differences in the results are noted. (MSE)

Results of a survey of American medical schools indicate that there is considerable interest in legal medicine and that while 40 percent of the schools require students to complete some course work in legal medicine, the curricula vary considerably among the schools. Topics most frequently covered are informed consent and malpractice. (Author/JMD)

A computerized, sampling instrument is described that measures continuity and comprehensiveness of care learned by medical students at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and the clinical content of the students' experience. (Author/MLW)

An elective course in the history of medicine focuses on clinical thinking using the case study method. Course goals include: student recognition of clinical reasoning as a historical process; understanding of distinctions between disease categories and etiological frameworks; and different conceptualizations (etiological and syndromic) of…

Social, cultural, economic, psychological, and interpersonal dimensions of cancer and cancer patient management were addressed in an elective course conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. Student attitudes toward the disease were tested before and after taking the course. Significant attitudinal shifts, new insights, and new skills resulted…