A University of Georgia physical assessment course for entry-level doctoral pharmacy students is described. The course focuses on provision of patient care and communication skill development, not strictly physical diagnosis. It includes classroom instruction in interviewing and physical assessment techniques, case studies, and a three-hour…

A review of 85 articles published 1984-93 on the effects of medical school curricula, faculty role models, and federal biomedical research support on the specialty choices of medical students suggests effective strategies to enlarge the proportion of medical students choosing generalist careers including institutional reform to emphasize…

A study investigated the usefulness of a new ambulatory medicine clerkship design by randomly assigning students to it or to an existing traditional general medicine rotation, then comparing student performance on the licensing examination, a laboratory interpretation test, written work, and a problem-solving exam. Performances were the same…

A Johns Hopkins University (Maryland) medical college substance abuse education program was evaluated by nine annual student surveys (n=892 students). Significant improvements were found in student attitudes, beliefs in role responsibility, and confidence in skills during preclinical years. Clinical programs emphasizing substance abuse increased…

A clinical geriatric pharmacy clerkship containing three separate practice areas (long-term, acute, and ambulatory care) is described. The program follows the medical education clerkship protocol, with a clinical pharmacy specialist, pharmacy practice resident, and student. Participation in medical rounds, interdisciplinary conferences, and…

At the University of California-San Francisco, a multidisciplinary teaching group from dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social/behavioral sciences leads a multidisciplinary student team in a clinical experience in a nursing home. The program provides specialized experience in geriatric care and encourages teamwork. (MSE)

Reports on strategies being developed by medical schools to carry out education in the ambulatory care setting, based on studies of 38 institutions. Highlights three main strategies: longitudinal preceptorships; multi-specialty clerkships; and community-oriented and population-based activities that provide relevant educational experiences for…

Discusses what the predoctoral dental curriculum should emphasize, in both general content and learning and teaching processes, in order to fully integrate a postgraduate-year experience. Two reports recommending strategies for dental education are compared for suggested curriculum structure, instructional modes, articulation, practicum design,…

Examines changes in student assessment methods in courses and clerkships at eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project, including specific forms of assessment (self-assessment, feedback, standardized patients). For most schools, changes were controlled by course or clerkship directors and managed by…

A study investigated 147 5th-year pharmacy students' perceptions of professional roles and attitudes toward other health care workers before and after clinical experiences. Changes were found after internship/clerkship completion, particularly in more positive attitudes toward physicians and toward sharing of professional responsibility. An…

Proposes a problem-solving process for finding unique solutions for specific learning problems of medical students, particularly in clinical preceptorships. Suggestions are offered for evaluation of the problem learner, including more emphasis on peer and self-evaluation and insights into teaching and implementing the proposed model, including the…

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…

Despite a steady increase in the number of internship programs in educational administration, there is little empirical evidence with which to determine how internships affect both the intern's learning and the mentor-administrator. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the intern-mentor relationship. The sample included 18…

This paper describes the impact of early clinical contact (ECC) on medical students. The concepts emerged from a grounded theory analysis of interviews with students and faculty in the ECC program at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, which places first-year and second-year students in a variety of clinical settings in ambulatory…

This how-to-do-it handbook is designed to help the potential rural clinical option (RCO) coordinator develop a program in which nursing students can have an in-depth clinical experience in a rural health facility. Separate sections detail how to: (1) determine the amount of release time and financial resources available to run the program; (2)…