An obstetric and gynecologic clerkship's influence on a medical community. The Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho Anchorage obstetric and gynecologic clerkship.

OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was to explore the influences of an obstetric and gynecologic medical student clerkship on a remote medical community. Return of physicians to Alaska and faculty perceptions of their experience were central foci. STUDY DESIGN: Data were obtained on former clerks to determine choice of specialty and location of practice. Data regarding all physicians new to Alaska was correlated with the University of Washington Medical School graduate data. Additionally, a questionnaire with a Likert-type scale evaluated the 10 clinical faculty members participating in the clerkship. RESULTS: Between 1978 and 1991 we trained 266 clerks. A total of 77 of 374 (21%) new physicians in Alaska (1978 to 1991) were graduates of the University of Washington; 26 of those 77 (34%) were our former Anchorage obstetrics and gynecology clerks. The clinical faculty reported both positive and negative effects of their participation in the clerkship. CONCLUSION: The desired benefit, the return of new physicians to Alaska, seemed supported. Questionnaire results hinted at additional benefits for the supervising faculty physicians in this isolated community. The formal affiliation effected by the clerkship seemed to have a positive impact on patient care, communication, consultation, and shared action among the participating physicians.

Generalization of EMG biofeedback training.

Five young adults received audio biofeedback training to reduce trapezius EMG levels while they engaged in reading in an office, seated at a table. A multiple-baseline-across subjects design was employed in two separate studies. After training, all subjects demonstrated reduced EMG levels while reading in a home or library setting. The first study suggested that subjects reduced EMG levels by minimizing movements and altering their postures; the second study systematically demonstrated changes in such behavior, which was correlated with EMG levels. The data provide evidence that EMG biofeedback resulted in response generalization across several motoric classes, and in stimulus generalization from the training setting to the natural environment. The importance of assessing generalization is discussed.

Current use of the extraperitoneal cesarean section: a decade of experience.

Avoidance of the peritoneal cavity is surgically sound and is a primary defense against infections that complicate cesarean sections. A decade of data confirms previous findings that the extraperitoneal cesarean section is an efficacious surgical procedure. Data from 346 cases during this 10-year period support the recommendation that the procedure is a viable alternative to the transperitoneal cesarean section. My experience suggests that the extraperitoneal approach is being rejected not because it lacks merit but because of other factors.