A tutorial is a period of instruction given by a university or college tutor to an individual or a very small group. Essentially, it is a small class of a few students in which the tutor (a lecturer or other academic staff member) gives individual attention to every learner. The tutorial focuses on certain subject areas and generally proceeds with…

A program designed to help first-year medical students understand basic medical ethical issues and view these issues as a essential component of their knowledge base in clinical medicine is described. (Author/MLW)

The article describes a senior elective in virology developed at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. Students work independently through a series of course units, selecting 12 study topics from a catalog of 35 topics in medical virology and discussing their reading daily with the professor. (DB)

A remedial program was designed for Oregon Health Sciences University clerkship students demonstrating adequate clinical skills but inadequate knowledge. In two years, six students were enrolled in the tutorial program. The experience was highly successful for all but one. Participants saw it as one of their best medical school experiences.…

A program providing successful peer tutoring in nine of 10 basic science courses in the first two years of medical school is described, and the management of such a program is discussed. Positive program effects on both tutors and students in academic difficulty are emphasized. (MSE)

Problem-based learning at the United Arab Emirates University has presented particular challenges. Students, used to a teacher-centered approach, needed more support in taking advantage of active learning and tutorial support than their Western counterparts required. Study guides have become valuable components of the curriculum. Discusses…

Understanding the relevance of basic science knowledge in the determination of patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment is critical to good medical practice. One method often used to direct students in the fundamental process of integrating basic science and clinical information is problem-based learning (PBL). The faculty facilitated small…

The author details a Perkins Grant-funded project of the Medical Education Center at Northern Virginia Community College that is designed to increase student retention by teaching students to identify and to use their learning style preference(s). (Contains 1 chart.)

Discusses the incorporation of a problem-based anatomy course into a traditional curriculum in the School of Medicine at the University of Zagreb. Describes the course, challenges that arose during the transition, and institutional solutions. Students showed a high preference for the active learning process experienced in tutorials over the more…

The University of Missouri-Kansas City medical school, which offers a combined bachelor's-medical degree, created a first-year support program to help first-year students meet significant academic and developmental challenges. The program includes academic advising, learning skills assessment, peer and individual tutoring, career counseling, and…

During a period of rapid expansion, Wayne State University School of Medicine found it necessary to increase the professional staff of its Office of Student Affairs to meet the needs of medical students. Utilization of professional counselors, financial aid officers, study skills counselors, and peer tutors and advisers is discussed. (Author/JMD)

This project at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (Fort Worth) evaluated the use of an artificial-intelligence-derived measure, "Knowledge-Based Inference Tool" (KBIT), as the basis for assessing medical students' diagnostic capabilities and designing instruction to improve diagnostic skills. The instrument was designed to…