Pharmacy education at the University of Zimbabwe is somewhat like that in the United States; communication skill development and the pharmacist's role as drug expert are emphasized. Compounding is a major focus of study because bulk compounding is more economical for a developing country. The university's curriculum emphasizes rural practice, and…

Midwestern University-Chicago College of Pharmacy has developed a five-week elective community pharmacy management rotation in partnership with local pharmacies. Students work directly with district and pharmacy managers, covering a list of topics developed by faculty and preceptors and performing one major project and several smaller ones.…

Three effective strategies for case-based teaching in clinical medicine are described: case-bedside teaching involving case discussion and bedside demonstration; a combination of quick case reviews with more formal presentations on relevant topics; and discovery learning using complex cases. Five general principles of experiential learning in…

A graduate nursing course that integrates academic content with students' clinical experiences using problem-based learning is described and evaluated. The approach was found to be effective, stimulating, and relevant for the students. Closer monitoring of student progress and more instruction in learning strategies are recommended. (Author/MSE)

This article proposes that to assess students' preparedness to deliver pharmaceutical care, pharmacy schools have experiential evaluation systems consisting of multiple assessment methods, guidelines for optimal use, and procedures to promote faculty-student communication about performance. Objective structured clinical examinations,…

An IBM-compatible information storage and retrieval software program was developed to support an eight-week community pharmacy ambulatory care clerkship for entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy students. The program helps evaluate and identify patients for health and medication problems, perform patient risk-factor assessment, monitor drug therapy,…

The Drake University (Iowa) pharmacy school has developed an elective teaching clerkship to help prepare pharmacy students as university teachers. Course goals were to familiarize students with issues in university-level teaching, promote understanding of theories underlying specific teaching methods, and apply general teaching technique and…

A survey investigated the application of constructs related to acquisition of psychomotor skills in the preclinical dental curriculum in 220 departments of operative dentistry, fixed and removable prosthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and periodontics. Results indicate insufficient opportunities for students to define desired outcomes and…

A study was conducted to assess the effect of station position in a multiple-stations performance-based examination administered to 127 senior medical students. There was no evidence for a sequence effect on student performance, with no improvement on scores awarded for standardized cases across successive cases in the examination. (SLD)

A study compared effects of two methods of teaching geriatric dentistry: traditional approach based on readings, and computer-assisted simulation of patient interaction and clinical decision making. Although subjects (n=20) showed no significant differences by treatment, computer-trained students had statistically nonsignificant higher performance…

The Department of Community Health and Family Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine developed a curriculum component integrating epidemiologic concepts into a third year family medicine clerkship through a small-group project on a specific condition likely to be encountered by primary care physicians in community practice. (MSE)

A study examined differences in the clinical teaching of 21 medical residents and 19 attending physicians in 2 settings: inpatient care and lectures. Results indicated that ratings were generally similar for the two groups, but setting was a significant source of variance. Self-assessments were similar. Implications for instruction are discussed.…

The primary care clerkship at George Washington University (District of Columbia) medical school, the only required ambulatory care experience in the curriculum, is described. Topics discussed include the interdisciplinary structure of the program, its goals, curriculum and student evaluation, and challenges faced in implementation (faculty,…

Identifies and characterizes five major curricular-reform movements in North American medical education since 1765: the apprenticeship-based model; a discipline-based model; the organ-system-based model; the problem-based model; and a clinical-presentation model. Discusses principles and practices and disadvantages and advantages of each. (MSE)

Columbia University (New York) dental-school study examined educational/patient care effects of changing from a numerical requirements-driven clinical curriculum to a comprehensive-care model driven by patient needs and led by faculty group leaders. Results suggest a significant increase in number of treatment plans completed by students, with no…