Five final reports on the Nursing Curriculum Project of the Southern Regional Education Board are presented. The reports include (1) RN (Registered Nursing) Education: The Basic Issues; (2) Types of RN Programs; (3) Planning and Operating an RN Program; (4) Acclimating the Novice Nurse: Whose Responsibility? and (5) Statewide Planning for Nursing.…

New instructional procedures for the competency-based curriculum for pharmacy education are examined by educators. The evolution of the competency-based program at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota is described, and information is presented concerning the classroom instructional model, the development of performance…

The use of admission interview comments to predict clinical clerkship success of medical students was evaluated. Narrative comments made by admissions interviewers regarding an applicant's skills and attitudes were coded, as were narrative evaluations of these students during year III of required clerkships in pediatrics and internal medicine in…

A study undertaken by a fourteen member consortium representing five schools each of medicine, dentistry, and nursing had as its objectives to: (1) generate, assess and collectively approve a comprehensive list of teaching skills and strategies that approximates observed and representative behaviors in clinical sciences teaching in medicine,…

Articles by social work educators on some of the critical issues in community mental health are presented. Examined are some conceptual and program developments related to coordination, continuity of care, and the use of teams in planning and service delivery for community mental health (Lawrence K. Berg). The issue of civil commitment to and…

The decision-making experience of residents in a primary care internal medicine training practice was often inadequate. The residents' evaluation of their educational experience with patients suggests that several elements of patient care affected their ability to learn. (Author/GDC)

Describes methods used in the nursing curriculum at the University of Iowa College of Nursing to evaluate inclusion of physical assessment skills and to test students' use of cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor assessment skills in nursing diagnosis. Includes an example of motor and perceptual skill objectives for examining thorax and lungs.…

Three optometric educators provide separate perspectives on how and why to increase the amount of clinical experience in the optometry program, addressing such issues as how many patient encounters are enough to provide adequate training, salient factors in clinical experience outside patient encounter numbers (facilities and equipment, preceptor,…

Educators in dentistry and osteopathy discuss efforts within their fields to diversify clinical education. Dental school changes focus on curriculum reform, closer education-care delivery relationship, patient centeredness, comprehensive care experiences, and patient care as a distinct mission of dental education. Efforts in osteopathy emphasize…

Four professional participants in a well-developed community-based medical education system examine the implications of current change for their various roles, managing a community hospital, directing a local area health education center, teaching family medicine, and as a community preceptor. Some common themes concerning community-based medical…

A University of Missouri-St. Louis program combines a two-year optometric residency with a master of science degree in gerontology to prepare clinicians as teachers of geriatric optometry. The interdisciplinary program's components include optometric care of elderly patients, supervised student teaching, and coursework in geriatrics. (Author/MSE)

Harvard University's new dental school curriculum, and the changes mandated for its implementation, are discussed. The curriculum is characterized by small tutorial groups, student-centered instruction, and clinical treatment teams. The innovations have required significant institutional revitalization efforts and financial investment, with…

A 20-year follow-up study of 37 students enrolled in a University of Virginia alternative medical education curriculum found the program was successful in improving students' morale during preclinical instruction, preparing them for clerkships, and increasing sensitivity to patients. It was not effective in inducing students to enter primary care…

Considerations in planning optometric clinical experiences are discussed, including guidelines for curriculum design, typical teaching strategies, teaching methods and materials, support services and resources, student orientation and debriefing, logistics, costs, personnel, funding sources, and legal liability issues. (MSE)

Efforts must be made from inside the teacher education classroom to retain minority students and increase their success in completing credential programs. After explaining why there is a shortage of minority teacher education students, the paper presents five essential skills for preparing and retaining minority teacher candidates. (SM)