Alumni perceptions of adequacy of training in diagnostic radiology.

Former residents who completed an accredited university radiology residency between 1953 and 1983 were surveyed using a written questionnaire. Seventy-five percent responded with opinions concerning their satisfaction with the various aspects of their training, including whether the program had met the specific needs of their practice. Most were satisfied with their training. Many believed the program should offer formal training in nonclinical areas such as quality control, equipment selection, administration, economics, and contract negotiations. Nearly all (96%) believed they had been adequately prepared for the Board examination. The majority (75%) believed a postgraduate clinical year was important prior to entering a radiology residency. We believe the written survey is a useful means for gathering data regarding adequacy of residency training. With the current interest in residency program curricula, such data may be useful in the dynamic process of structuring residency programs.

Family practice curriculum: how well does it reflect family practice?

We developed a survey to send alumni from the family practice program at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Program graduates were asked how well they had been trained in 29 curricular areas during their residency program. Family practice alumni from programs in Virginia, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Washington responded to similar questions in previous studies. The Kendal coefficient of concordance was used to determine whether or not graduates of these programs saw the same pattern of curricular strengths and weaknesses; results showed a similar pattern of training needs across the country (W = .81, P less than .001). Alumni saw a need for more training in orthopedics, rehabilitation, and office management.

A method for training simulated patients.

The purpose of the study on which this article was based was to examine the effectiveness of training simulated patients with self-instructional materials. A six-hour program consisting of eight videotapes and 10 sets of written materials was administered to 54 trainees. Pretest and posttest score comparisons revealed an increase in knowledge about simulation. Most of the trainees (91 percent) stated that the simulation training program increased their competencies in portraying patients. Most important, simulators with the self-instructional training received higher ratings from trainers on their ability to evaluate students than did simulators in the control group.

Melanoma.

Melanoma most often occurs on the leg in women and on the head or neck in men. The appearance of the lesion should suggest the diagnosis, but pathologic examination and classification based on depth of skin penetration are essential for optimal therapy. Wide surgical excision should be followed by lymph node dissection, chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy depending on classification.