This volume presents 47 papers addressing various aspects of community-oriented education; lists relevant and current books, articles and papers; and provides basic information about the international non-governmental organization, the Network of Community-Oriented Educational Institutions for Health Sciences. The papers are grouped into the following six categories: (1) strategies and change (with papers from India, Canada, the Philippines, China and the United Kingdom); (2) curricula and courses (from Australia, China, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Australia, and Egypt); (3) postgraduate and continuing education (Chile, Turkey, Italy, Australia, and Canada); (4) problem-based learning (United States, Australia, West Indies, Malaysia, and the Netherlands); (5) other methods and materials (Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, and Switzerland); and (6) assessment (India, Malaysia, Australia, United States, and Italy). A section on literature lists recent books, journals and newsletters, and recent papers on the following topics: assessment, assessment (objective structured clinical examinations), assessment with standardized patients, communication skills, community-based education, evaluation by students, ethics, learning, policy and strategy, problem-based learning, selection for admission, stress, and teaching. The final section provides information on the Network including a listing of member institutions, a listing of the Network executive committee and secretariat, a statement of the Network objectives, and an explanation of membership. (Many individual papers contain references.) (DB)