A study to determine whether general internal medicine and traditional track medicine residents differed in their outpatient management of essential hypertension is discussed. General internal medicine residents seem to do better in the areas of assessment of drug side effects and patient education. (MLW)

A study found that a 50-minute lecture on the value of autopsy had little effect on housestaff patterns of requesting autopsies. Housestaff (n=27) attending the lecture did not request more autopsies or obtain more permissions than did the control group (n=26). Results suggest more sophisticated techniques than lectures should be used. (Author/MSE)

A study examined the relationship between (1) internal medicine patients' total charges and lengths of stay and (2) the degree of autonomy that attending physicians (n=65) permitted their residents (n=40). Results suggest that internal medicine residents have an inherently conservative practice style valuing low-intensity workups and rapid patient…

The skills of interns in obtaining body fluids for analysis were observed after six months of a categorical internal medicine program. The results suggest that training in the proper technique in lumbar puncture in medical schools is inadequate. Recommendations for improvement are offered. (LBH)

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.…

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…

The implementation of a model internal medicine group practice at the University of Colorado Medical Center is described, and the first 19 months of its operation are reported. It was formed to improve house staff experience in ambulatory internal medicine, allowing six residents to participate with two faculty internists in full-time continuous…

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)

The general internal medicine program at the University of Colorado has sought to emphasize the psychosocial aspects of care in its training. The performance of traditional track residents with general internal medicine resident performance was compared. (MLW)

Two internal medicine residency programs at Baylor College of Medicine are discussed. The traditional program emphasizes experience in the care of acute problems within a hospital inpatient environment. The primary care residency program emphasizes training in the outpatient environment and in noninternal medicine disciplines. (MLW)

A monthly journal club for residents uses detailed discussions and analyses of clinical research articles to teach the important concepts and principles of medical research in a manner useful to the practicing physician. Discussion is structured by a guide for presenting the articles to the group. (Author/MLW)

How well internal medical residents understood the four modes of the interpersonal process recall system was investigated after the students had received training in this system. Students were tested before and after the course, that involved extensive use of videotapes of interviews. (Author/MLW)

The University of Cincinnati Department of Internal Medicine instituted a peer review moonlighting committee of residents to design departmental guidelines, document work activities, identify discrepancies, and initiate control policies. Results suggest such a program may help establish mutually acceptable work activity guidelines while…

This study represents a preliminary effort toward the ultimate goal of identifying some of the major determinants of final career plans of residents in internal medicine. Initial career goal statements indicating future subspecialization are found to be important but the incidence of goal reversal is high. (LBH)

A study of internal medicine residents examined patterns of educational indebtedness, effects on their training and career decisions, frequency with which they begin loan payments during training, extent to which they moonlight and the reasons for doing so, and their opinions about the effects of moonlighting on house staff training. (MSE)