The San Diego State University (California) Health Careers Opportunity Program for disadvantaged students, most of whom are minorities, has 11 components, each dedicated to some form of educational intervention. The program emphasizes collaborative skills, fosters pride in accomplishment and confidence, and builds analytical and problem-solving…

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…

Discussion of change in dental education looks at the profession's guiding principles and some current social, economic, and professional forces for change. It is argued that these forces require new guiding principles to attain a new vision of dental education. Theory on stages of change, commitment to change, and the learning organization are…

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…

Interviews with 116 Texas health science center administrators and faculty, community leaders, and state officials investigated barriers to development of area health education centers for training health professionals. School and community respondents agreed on the need for more cooperative planning and training for future activities with border…

A discussion of distance education in nursing and pharmacy fields looks at the history of distance education; issues in program design (resources, politics, student populations, policy); planning (finances, curriculum, technology, resources, faculty); implementation; evaluation; and outcomes (graduates, career mobility, institutional image).…

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)

A survey of 303 graduates of 7 pharmacy schools investigated graduates' preparation for compliance with Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 1990 (OBRA-90) which mandated patient counseling and prospective drug utilization review. Results showed general satisfaction with students' preparation for OBRA-90 requirements. Respondents expressed most…

While the changes facing dental education are greater than ever, skillful planning will allow appropriate response. This will require reevaluation of faculty costs and resources. Cost containment measures could include early retirement programs, decreasing underutilized staff, and maximizing productivity. Income increases could be realized through…

An analysis of costs associated with the dental licensure process looks at the financial costs to both dental and dental hygiene license candidates, financial costs to the dental school, temporal costs to schools and candidates, financial costs from loss of clinic income and faculty and staff productivity, curricular time spent in board…

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…

World War II brought a significant rise in the number of medical specialists because they were in great demand for treating battle casualties for returning veterans, and many recently discharged medical officers took advantage of the G.I. Bill to train in specialty and subspecialty medicine. A participant chronicles this process. (Author/MSE)

The theme issue of the journal contains 30 articles concerning educational strategies and initiatives designed to strengthen the preparation and recruitment of students for medical education. Most of the articles describe specific programs at the elementary, secondary, higher, and graduate education levels. Others explore aspects of medical…

Chronicles development of the Baylor College of Dentistry (Texas) competency-based curriculum and outlines 11 lessons learned concerning strategic planning, external accountability, value of significant and continuing faculty participation, administrative support structures, linking planning and assessment, using multiple assessment methods,…