Communication skills are critical when the physician must convey distressful information. A study to determine whether training second-year medical students to convey such information would be effective in improving their skills is reported. (MLW)

A 5-week family medicine clerkship is described that uses several innovative techniques: problem-based learning focusing on patient management tutorials; consultation with specialists; supervised patient care and a nursing home inpatient teaching service; and workshops on topics such as office-surgical techniques, practice management, and…

This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) provides guidelines for counselors and criminal justice personnel who treat offenders with substance use disorders. TIPs are best-practice guidelines that make the latest research in substance abuse treatment available to counselors and educators. The content was generated by a panel of experts in the…

The South Carolina Rural Interdisciplinary Program in Training (SCRIPT) provides practical educational experiences for students from multiple health care majors in rural communities in the Low Country (Southern region) of South Carolina. Faculty from the Medical University of South Carolina joined with staff from the Low Country Area Health…

Some directions and influences on dental research activities in the near future are discussed. Current challenges include international competition, fellowships, and equipment. Potential research activity includes preventive medicine, epidemiology, chronic illness, the elderly, bioengineering, materials research, nutrition, soft tissue research,…

A University of Florida College of Dentistry management system is described that uses a computer to assist in the matching of patients and dental students, the monitoring of patient care, and the tracking of student clinical progress in a teaching environment that emphasizes the comprehensive patient care approach. (Author/MLW)

A survey to determine the content, structure, objectives, and organization of death curricula in American medical schools is presented. Topics discussed include curriculum development, funding, faculty and patient roles, learning resources, and curriculum research. (Author/JMD)

The dying and death component of the psychiatry clerkship at Dartmouth Medical School is described. The educational objectives and instructional methods were developed to enhance the student's understanding of what terminal patients experience in psychosocial needs and to explore his role and skill in caring for patients in terminal situations.…

Paracognitive evaluation of medical training recognizes the linkage between training and specific maturational trends. After administering the Paracognitive Evaluation Form to assess medical students' performance in seminars and clinical teaching situations, hierarchical cluster analysis suggested that maturational trends were measured and that…

A cost containment program initiated in 1975 on the medical teaching service of Charlotte Memorial Hospital, a University of North Carolina affiliated hospital, has led to a significant improvement in hospital house staff utilization of facilities and procedures. In the outpatient setting an actual reduction in patient-encounter cost was realized…

The inpatient (ward/intensive care unit) performance of primary care medical residents was compared with that of their peers in the standard internal medicine residency program. Nearly identical performances of the two groups suggests that substantial time in the first two years of residency can be devoted successfully to ambulatory training.…

This paper argues that medical ethics education relies too much on strategies that target ethical thinking and should focus more on students as ethical actors in specific clinical contexts, responding to ethical dilemmas. Traditional approaches may not offer the skills students need to learn norms of ethical behavior. Strategies for encouraging…

A study in the Queen's University (Canada) medical school's family residency program found that in 70,805 patient encounters with residents, 65.1% were with women patients. While mean number of patients seen by male and female residents did not differ, proportions of women patients seen (58.6% for male residents, 68.4% for females) did vary. Male…

Camps for children with serious diseases or disabilities are becoming more common. These camps provide children and their families with ongoing support systems and allow children to interact with peers who accept them for who they are while having fun. Counselors with similar conditions make good role models. Camps sponsored by four national…

A relatively new method of helping pediatric cancer patients cope with their illness is specially designed summer camps. Camp helps children with cancer address psychological effects of the disease, bodily changes, and self-concept, and helps parents and siblings cope. Sidebars present resources and tips on incorporating children with cancer into…