The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine's successful interstate educational exchange program through the Southern Regional Education Board is described, and concerns are expressed for the program's future. Suggestions are offered for establishing similar multistate programs that promote education in medical specialties and encourage…

Assessed the effectiveness of an intense, year-long experience of course work, research, and personal development for underrepresented minority students before medical school. Program participants demonstrated competency in the first year of medical school consistent with traditional students even though they had lower MCAT scores and college…

A popular required family medicine clerkship at Jefferson Medical College (Pennsylvania) suggests that ambulatory care can be taught as a core component of the clinical curriculum. Success requires strong institutional support, structured curriculum, adequate patients, dedicated faculty, sufficient training sites, an appropriate evaluation…

The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford was established to provide community-based medical education. Students have extensive clinical training at community health centers, and 48% of graduates eventually practice primary care. To support generalist education, faculty changes in attitudes, behavior, and knowledge and curriculum…

Describes the experience of Centers of Excellence in Women's Health at seven U.S. medical schools in initiating and sustaining leadership programs for women faculty. Describes program formation, content, and evaluation approaches. Reviews areas of success and difficulties faced, proposes strategies to overcome difficulties, and reviews important…

A program combining pediatrics and internal medicine is described. The four-year program, focusing on ambulatory care, alternates six-month rotations in each field and includes clinic training. Success factors include comparison of outpatient and inpatient care, developing an ambulatory practice to support resident salaries, and preparation for…

Drawing from survey data (n=138 medical schools in the United States and Canada), a study analyzed medical schools' systems for evaluating student progress in clinical experiences. The 4-stage model used by most schools, common and unique characteristics, and 17 symptoms of system errors, signaling a need for system review, are outlined.…

A University of Alabama plan to improve productivity in the medical school by reallocating institutional funds and changing the handling of professional practice revenues is described, and its effects, strengths, and weaknesses after the first three fiscal years of implementation are examined. Despite some problems, the plan appears to be…

A study showed that 80 percent of medical schools were collecting outcome data, but there was a lack of coherence, integrated analysis, and longitudinal study. The purpose of examining outcomes is to gain sharper focus on the achievement of institutional goals, facilitate program improvement, and assure competence of graduates. (Author/MLW)

Contains articles describing and evaluating the Interdisciplinary Generalist Curriculum (IGC) Project, a curriculum for the first two years of medical school designed to encourage more graduates to enter generalist fields. Articles are grouped in sections: "What Was the ICG Project?"; "What Can Others Learn from the IGC…

This study investigated the educational process used in tumor boards (cancer case conferences) and whether the process varied based on type of board, frequency of meetings, and presence or absence of residency training programs in the hospital. These data were collected through observation of 715 board sessions of 37 hospitals and 43 tumor boards.…

A nationwide network of clinics to educate health care providers about clinical aspects of sexually transmitted diseases has succeeded and led to development of a 13-clinic network for training in the clinical, epidemiological, psychological, and social aspects of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), drawing on the earlier clinic…

A joint cholesterol research venture between a University of Massachusetts medical center and a health maintenance organization, the Fallon Healthcare System, is described, focusing on issues arising from the two institutions' differing priorities and perspectives concerning health care and research. While such a collaborative arrangement can hold…

The Gateway to Higher Education program, established in New York City in 1986, has demonstrated that minority students who perform at least at grade level can begin a rigorous college preparatory curriculum in ninth grade and achieve outstanding academic achievement through their high school years, if necessary support is available. (Author/MSE)

Several features of a two-day national nephrology continuing medical education conference were analyzed using commitments for change and subsequent self-reports of implementation of change as the dependent variables. Subjects were those physician participants (N=84) who completed demographic information forms and agreed to participate in the…