The College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, engaged in an innovative, intense approach to clerkship curriculum development based on the nominal group process. The nominal group process is defined as a method of soliciting ideas and constructive input from experts with differing backgrounds and perceptions. (Author/MLW)

A study of 88 students in a problem-based surgery clerkship found significant gain in knowledge level, found to be linked to improved clinical performance. Additional findings included peers were good judges of students' knowledge and skills; faculty were not good judges of changes in student skills or ability to apply them. (MSE)

This study examines and describes the changes in four teachers' beliefs and practices in literacy and literacy assessment over the course of a yearlong graduate level clinical experience. Four teachers who worked in the university literacy clinic as part of their graduate course work participated in this study. Two of the four teachers teach…

The University of Missouri-Kansas City Medical School uses a healthcare team approach to medical education. As partial evaluation of the approach, this study explored the views held by health professionals concerning their experiences on the team. Their images of the concept of the team itself, their opinions on the educational function of the…

The impact of the present changing environment on medical education is considered. Four major components of medical education are influenced by environmental change: the setting (hospital inpatient floors), the patients, the teachers, and way teaching is conducted. Educational goals are defined and recommendations for improving teaching are…

A national survey concerning the design of psychiatry clerkships sought information about five program areas: clinical experience, lectures and classroom instruction, textbook and reading materials, supervision, and evaluation procedures. (MSE)

A study identified and explored the changing educational needs of mental health and learning disability nurses in Britain following the 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act. A literature review focused on service developments in mental health and learning disability nursing and changes in education. Interviews were conducted with…

In order to teach applied respiratory physiology to medical students, the anesthesiology faculty at the University of Florida College of Medicine has designed and implemented a course that includes a laboratory workshop in mechanical ventilation of an animal model that allows students to apply and expand their knowledge. (JMD)

A pilot project to explore the feasibility of using the clinical Adult Service Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Program at the University of Michigan as the locus for teaching medical gerontology to psychiatric and medical/surgical residents and medical students is described. The goals, techniques, content, and implementation procedures are…

Current changes observed in medical education include alterations in program intensity, length, and cost; a greater selection of teaching methods; clinical experience sites; institutional goals and objectives; student evaluation techniques; and teaching sites. Students are being challenged increasingly to become self-directed problem solvers.…

A problem solving case method of teaching practical pathology is described, illustrated, and compared with more traditional teaching methods. Advantages include: emphasis of the relevance of pathology to clinical medicine; encouragement of self-assessment; economy of equipment costs and staff time. (Author/LBH)

The inclusion of online learning technologies into the higher education (HE) curriculum is frequently associated with the design and development of new models of learning. One could argue that e-learning even demands a reconfiguration of traditional methods of learning and teaching. However, this transformation in pedagogic methodology does not…

Fifth-year baccalaureate pharmacy students are required to participate in a 16-hour rotation in the college's drug information center, including instruction in information sources and retrieval. The self-paced program includes audiovisual aids with a laboratory manual and individualized instruction. The rotation evaluation questionnaire is…

A traditional method of teaching psychomotor skills in a preclinical restorative dentistry laboratory course was compared with an experimental method. The experimental group was taught using a guided systematic approach that relied on detailed checklists and exhaustive faculty feedback. (Author/MLW)

Techniques that practicing pharmacists can use to facilitate student learning in a clinical-preceptorship setting are specified. In addition, signals or clues in the situation that indicate the appropriate mode of teaching are identified and a blueprint for self-instruction in these techniques is provided. (JMD)