Changes in biological sciences courses--both required and elective at various degree levels--are examined. Their impact on interdisciplinary instruction, administrative authority, student outcomes, and placement of graduates is analyzed. (MSE)

A three-year effort to develop a university health maintenance organization (HMO) into an effective clinical teaching site for the team practice of primary care is described. Initial resistance to team practice and teaching, assessment of HMO team development, and the effectiveness of the HMO as a primary care teaching site are discussed.…

The Small Animal Medicine program at the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital is described. Instructional goals and the creation of two medicine rotations oriented to problems of different difficulty are outlined. Student evaluations that cover five categories are provided and conclusions from program experiences are drawn. (MLW)

A program to prepare future physicians to treat the milder emotional problems often encountered in primary care settings is described. Also reported are the ability of third-year medical students to function successfully in an outpatient setting, the performance of these trainees as compared with that of students in inpatient settings, and an…

A practice- and science-based program of graduate education and scholarship for pharmaceutical science is proposed. Recommendations include the elimination of weak graduate programs, increased industrial support, and development of the clinical scientist. (SF)

Patient-centered, clinical-research-demonstration programs for teams of students, preceptors, and faculty members from six disciplines who provided patient care in a long-term rehabilitation setting are described. Questions are raised concerning the effect of clinical teams on the quality of patient care, cost-effectiveness, etc. (Author/MLW)

The Clinical Behavioral Sciences Program at McMaster University, an interdisciplinary approach to mental health education, deemphasizes the acquisition of new credentials and selects students with baccalaureate degrees who are professionally qualified and employed in mental health fields. Students' work-related issues and problems are used in this…

A method for selecting performance variables to be used in the evaluation of the clinical performance of internal medicine residents is described. Twenty of the highest ranking variables are listed, as determined by the formal sampling of the opinion of full-time and volunteer faculty and residents associated with the University of Nebraska. (JMD)

Directors of patient evaluation courses at U.S. and Canadian medical schools were surveyed to identify problems that might underlie decreasing competence in clinical skills. The problems identified include inadequate numbers of patients for student examinations, lack of administrative and financial support, and lack of recognition for faculty.…

Five priority items for the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine are outlined: (1) financing of podiatric medical education; (2) federal government relations; (3) applicant pool; (4) clinical competence; and (5) master plan for podiatric medical education. (MLW)

A long-range plan to evaluate medical students' physical examination skills was undertaken at the Ingham Family Medical Clinic at Michigan State University. The development of the psychomotor skills evaluation model to evaluate the skill of blood pressure measurement, tests of the model's reliability, and the use of the model are described. (JMD)

A study compared scores on identical tests in internal medicine for two groups of graduating University of Toronto (Canada) medical students: those in a traditional, lecture-based curriculum (TC) and those in a redesigned curriculum with less didactic instruction and more clinical experience (NC). All comparisons showed a significantly higher…

A study investigating the effects of a two-week early clinical experience for fifth-year pharmacy students on concurrent didactic and subsequent clerkship performance found no significant effects. However, student and faculty course evaluations indicated early exposure to clinical experience was viewed as beneficial. Results will be used in…

Explores cost implications of residency programs within the Veterans Administration health care system, particularly the costs and benefits of residencies in family medicine, osteopathic medicine, and general dentistry, because they resemble optometric residencies most closely. Costs of an existing vision therapy residency are examined, and…

The University of Maryland Dental School began a comprehensive external and internal analysis of dentistry and dental education. Three analysis groups were established to review the external environment, the competitive environment, and institutional strengths and weaknesses. A strategic directions group identified directions and created a…