The inpatient (ward/intensive care unit) performance of primary care medical residents was compared with that of their peers in the standard internal medicine residency program. Nearly identical performances of the two groups suggests that substantial time in the first two years of residency can be devoted successfully to ambulatory training.…

Reports on a content analysis of 18 manuals designed for college-level teaching assistants. Finds that frequently included topics focused on intellectual and interpersonal tasks. Suggests that the study's results could serve as a model for teaching assistant materials. (CFR)

Although medical education currently emphasizes problem solving skills, recent evidence from psychological studies of clinical reasoning suggests that medical expertise is characterized by the gradual accumulation of experience in memory. This results in an ability to perceive, organize, and recall the extensive information given by the patient.…

Teaching strategies used by precepters at a hospital-based family medicine center were investigated with seven preceptors who had previous teaching experiences and were board certified (six in family medicine). A third-year senior resident presented and discussed two patient cases to the preceptors in separate one-to-one teaching sessions, and the…

Positive and negative aspects of assigning faculty in nursing specialties to teach foundations or basic nursing skills courses are discussed. Students' reactions to nursing specialists' instruction are also examined. Recommendations are made for duplicating the positive outcomes of a multidisciplinary faculty mix. (MF)

A variety of teaching methods for interpersonal skills training are suggested and explained, including role playing, simulated interviews, stimulus vignettes, videotaping, and clinic experience discussions. Other suggestions for implementation of these methods address sequence, grading, and faculty development. (MSE)

The Department of Medicine at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital fosters general internal medicine in a graduate training program with a "medical firm" system of medical care. The firm system consists of four medical teams that care for distinct patient populations, closely integrating outpatient and inpatient care. (Author/JMD)

Describes a number of teaching strategies to prepare nursing students to care for their hospitalized patients with alcohol-related problems but not in an alcoholism treatment unit, using a supportive-educational framework for the nurse-alcoholic patient relationship. A group of recovering alcoholics identified positive nursing actions as helpful.…

Two charting strategies to help students organize patients' data are Weed's problem-oriented medical record and Russell's condition diagram. Students at the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio were divided into study groups. The condition diagram group format may be helpful for students with lower academic achievement. (Author/MLW)

Development and evaluation of a problem-based, student-centered (PBSC) curriculum, to be implemented as a pharmacy externship component, are described. Comparison of performance of 26 PBSC program and 19 control group students found the PBSC students scored significantly higher on knowledge and problem-solving portions of the exam. Students and…

The use of interactive computer-based simulation of cases of chronic orofacial pain and temporomandibular joint disfunction patients for clinical dental education is described. Its application as a voluntary study aid in a third-year dental course is evaluated for effectiveness and for time factors in case completion. (MSE)

Problems of teaching and learning community medicine are discussed. Community medicine curricula must include experiential learning, with real patients and problems, in order to prove that health is affected by culture, politics, the environment, and individual behavior. (Author/LBH)

Romania's program is described in terms of: general information; medical studies and practical medical education; practical work in the first and second years; the third year; externships; and internships. (LBH)

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…

Traditional continuing medical education (CME) has been disconnected from the actual practice of medicine and has not focused on providing the most useful information in the most efficient way. Physicians have different information needs at different times. When asked at the end of a day of patient care, physicians will typically report having had…