A study to determine whether any previous training had been received in death counseling, to assess the need for resident physicians to provide such counseling, and to define the self-perceived confidence level of resident physicians in providing psychosocial support to dying patients and their families is described. (Author/MLW)

An example of a methodology for programmatic research development in emergency medicine is identified through the establishment of a nonclinical health services research position, which contributes to building a body of knowledge specific to emergency medicine and creating a sense of professional identity among graduate trainees. (Author/LBH)

Good agreement was found between fifth year medical students and their general practitioner tutors. The social aspects of illness were considered the most important by students and both groups emphasized the value of seeing patients in their homes with time for discussion. Implications for curriculum design are discussed. (Author/LBH)

Statistical information about where the graduates of various provincial and Scottish medical schools were doing their pre-registration jobs is presented. The percentage of graduates known to be working within the region of their own medical school varied from area to area. (LBH)

At the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a pediatric-psychiatric liaison program has evolved in which pediatric residents learn the principles and skills necessary to manage the emotional, behavioral, and family problems that may be an integral part of the patient's symptoms. (Author/LBH)

A review of the literature on resident performance and sleep deprivation suggests that current research is sparse and inconclusive, and existing research suggests potentially severe negative effects. It is proposed that justifications for sleep-depriving night call schedules remain untested, and their use as part of residency training should be…

Sixty-five percent of physicians entering their first professional positions leave the counties of their residencies, following a national migration trend to the Sun Belt. Most of these were in nonprimary care specialties and moved into self-employment or office-based practices, were disproportionately male, and moved to smaller urban or nonurban…

A large number of medical schools have discontinued the use of letter and number grades and have adopted pass-fail or honors-pass-fail grading systems. The relationship of academic performance with the selection of first-year residents for a university-based program in internal medicine is examined. (MLW)

A study is reported that hypothesizes that (1) empathic behaviors and other interpersonal skills are usually not new to internal medicine residents, and (2) that the educational issue is primarily one of skill elicitation and reinforcement rather than learning new content and behaviors. (MLW)

Almost inevitably, tax courts will conclude that no portion of the payment made to hospital housestaff can be characterized as an excludable fellowship grant, since they refuse to consider segregating a housestaff member's educational activities from his service activities. (Author/MSE)

Reference letters are an important method of selecting applicants to a postgraduate residency program. A study to test the predictive validity of all reference letters, not only those written by deans, is discussed. Results showed that reference letters did not predict resident performance and little useful information was contained in them. (MLW)

The need for increased marketing activities in medicine and graduate medical education, because the profession's ability to supply graduate medical education is becoming greater than the demand, is emphasized. Application of marketing concepts to the residency program of the Department of Family Medicine at Ohio State University is reported.…

Third-year residents nearing completion of their training and preparing to leave for independent practice often appear to experience anxieties that suggest a form of separation crisis. Their negative behavior may be a way of making the old milieu less welcoming and thus easier to leave. Advice for easing the transition is offered. (JMD)

Precepts from Machiavelli's "The Prince" are used in giving advice to chief residents on how to balance their responsibilities in working for the welfare of both the housestaff and the institution. Subject discussions include the difficulties of introducing change, setting good examples, and supervising former colleagues and peers. (GLR)

Notes the particular problems of teaching sociological concepts to medical students. Recommends using a game show format to actively engage students. Exploring their own group-based images, fears, and stereotypes, students discover what it means to be a physician. Provides the game format, dynamics, and preparation needed to play. (NL)