Many undergraduate medical curricula have been criticized for not adequately preparing graduates to be independent problem-solvers able to analyze clinical and published evidence. A program in the critical appraisal of medical literature at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine is described. (MLW)

Students enrolled in a behavioral science course at Washington State University were given the option of completing the behavior change project by functioning as the manager for a weight control patient. The weight control project is described and evaluation measures are discussed. (MLW)

As part of an ongoing faculty development program at the University of Minnesota Medical School, a program was developed to improve the teaching skills of clinical instructors. The background, program components, implementation, participant evaluation, and consultant evaluations of the program are discussed. (MLW)

The ambulatory care clerkship at the College of Human Medicine of Michigan State University has an extensive database of clerkship experiences including a catalog of students' clinical experiences, assessment of students' performances by the faculty, and students' evaluation of various aspects of the clerkship. (MLW)

The University of Minnesota's required six-week ambulatory medicine clerkship provides a comprehensive orientation to ambulatory care through planned integration of patient care with academic work. Responses of both students and faculty have been enthusiastic, with the benefits compensating for high costs in preceptor time. (MSE)

In January 1995, the nursing program at St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC), in Florida, undertook a project to enable nursing students to move from hospital- to community-based practice. Specifically, the project sought to establish partnerships with the health care agencies and facilities in the community, develop a community-based health care…

The New Haven Institute of Allied Health Careers has been involved in a project to (1) assist educationally disadvantaged students in preparing themselves for health careers opportunities through guidance services and (2) address the lack of access to and mobility within the health professions systems through educational change. Made up of a…

Medical students, nursing students, and residents from the University of Florida College of Medicine live and work for several weeks in a rural county health center, providing a wide range of primary care and emergency medical services. Retrospective evaluations by participants are reported. (LBH)

Obstacles to developing training programs in geriatric medicine include shortage of faculty members and negative attitudes toward geriatrics on the part of students. For two years, family medicine residents have participated in a required rotation in geriatric medicine at the Duke University Medical Center. (Author/MLW)

To investigate the effectiveness of the Area Health Education Center Pharmacy Training Program at the University of Texas, a study was undertaken to determine the amount of time pharmacy externs spend in predefined work categories and to compare them to program objectives. (JMD)

An optometric clinical education workshop conducted by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry for clinical administrators and faculty is reported. Major issues were: clinical education objectives; nature and setting of clinical experience; methods, techniques and responsibilities of clinical instruction; and evaluation of student…

Analysis of patient logbooks kept by 75 medical students in a family medicine clerkship provided a great deal of information about the nature of students' experience, changes taking place as the year progressed, the degree to which program objectives were being met, and differences between sites. (MSE)

This program description, written for psychology curriculum developers and faculty, addresses the design, problems, and benefits of incorporating a respecialization course of study into the existing psychology clincial training program at the University of Massachusetts. An example of the individualized curriculum designed to meet the clinical and…

A method of evaluating a first-year introduction to clinical medicine (ICM) course is described in which assessment of student achievement of the course goals is made by subsequent clinical tutors. Tutors drawn from several clinical departments are urged to maximize students' opportunities to practice taking complete histories and physical…

A study of the preceived acquisition of clinical skills by second-year medical students in six required clerkships is reported. The students completed self-assessments of their clinical skills when taking the family medicine clerkship. The principal contributions of the family medicine clerkship were in the management of common problems.…