A study compared the performances of Wake Forest University (North Carolina) medical students rotating through an internal medicine program, 88 in a problem-based curriculum and 364 in a lecture-based curriculum. Students in the problem-based curriculum received significantly higher ratings from house staff and faculty on four clinical rating…

A study of six distinguished clinical teachers in internal medicine investigated how they made rapid instructional decisions in response to each case presentation in teaching rounds. Results indicated these characteristics: substantial planning before rounds; quick, simultaneous diagnosis of patient problems and learners' level of understanding;…

A questionnaire was administered to 339 graduating senior medical students at the Medical College of Georgia to determine different potential sources of influence on career choice. Indebtedness may be associated with the choice of a non-primary care specialty with greater remuneration than primary care specialty. (MLW)

The University of Rochester has developed a third-year medical school clerkship in which students spend the second half of the clerkship in the offices of practicing internists. Participating faculty are carefully chosen and trained. Experience indicates the approach is feasible, academically effective, and acceptable to students and faculty.…

The different practice styles of young internists and the relationship between training and practice were studied as part of the National Study of Internal Medicine Manpower, Phase III. The practices of four groups of physicians were compared: general internists with traditional residencies, general internists who received their residency training…

A study of the extent to which a residency applicant's history of having received psychological counseling for stress-related problems influences residency program directors' perceptions of such an applicant found differing practices and attitudes in different specializations and toward males and females. (MSE)

A cancer attitude survey is analyzed that was administered to residents and faculty physicians in the departments of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin. Categories surveyed include opinions about the benefits of prevention, risk management, early detection and screening, treatment and care, and…

It is proposed that medical schools recruit students from rural areas, have them choose family practice, and train them in rural settings. Specific recommendations for improving content and context of rural medical care education are made, including merging internal medicine, family practice, and pediatrics as a single primary care specialty.…

A survey of internal medicine residents at Northwestern University's medical center found that the students enjoyed teaching and considered it critical to their own education. These views appear unrelated to previous teaching experience, academic background, or academic career plans. Variables correlating with teaching satisfaction and improvement…

A study of precepting conversations between 11 pairs of internal medicine interns and faculty preceptors found strategies used to correct the interns consistent with pedagogic norms favoring discovery learning and with societal norms favoring egalitarianism and respect for individuals. However, this raises questions about effects on interns'…

A 1990 survey of 102 directors of internal medical residencies with the largest numbers of foreign-born foreign medical graduates revealed the most important performance predictors were performance on the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination or National Board of Medical Examiners test, interviews, and U.S. postgraduate clinical experience.…

A study at the University of Vermont investigated the effectiveness of using a continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycle for teaching internal medicine residents the importance and techniques of psychosocial evaluation in patient examinations. Social workers audited students' examination data and provided feedback. The method was found to improve…

A 12-week primary care elective for third-year medical students at Boston University School of Medicine is described. Clinical sites at three Boston community health centers are coordinated to provide a longitudinal, integrated experience in ambulatory pediatrics and medicine. (Author/MLW)

A study investigated the relationship of internal medicine fellowship program characteristics (n=140 programs) to their students' characteristics and performance on a cardiovascular disease licensing examination. Results show indicators such as fellow-to-faculty ratio, training length, and fellowship performance correlate with student knowledge…

The decision-making experience of residents in a primary care internal medicine training practice was often inadequate. The residents' evaluation of their educational experience with patients suggests that several elements of patient care affected their ability to learn. (Author/GDC)