Medical education: assessment of a regent scheme

As part of a project concerned to identify the emotional and psychological problems experienced by medical students in the Medical School of Aberdeen University and to evaluate the services organized to respond to these, the present study is an assessment of one of these services, the regent scheme. The results of a questionnaire issued to current regents and to students in the second and third years of their course, show discrepancies in the views of the members of the two groups about selection of regents, the matching of regents and regentees, guidance offered about the use of the scheme, assessibility of regents and payment to regents. Comments from both groups indicate dissatisfaction with the scheme and also the wish to see it continue. This study explores some of the reasons for these opinions and for the use of the scheme by only a minority of students; and shows the need for a revision of the scheme.     

Compensatory education: Effective or ineffective?

Measured the effectiveness of a college level compensatory program for Black disadvantaged students relative to aspiration, motivation, and academic levels as compared to advantaged students at the University of Detroit. Ss were 169 undergraduates, 98% of whom were Black; controls were 152 predominantly White undergraduates. Ss had lower levels of aspiration, motivation, and academic achievement in each year of college. However, the disadvantaged group reduced the gap between initial disparities on the criterion measures for the independent variables measured when compared to the control group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transition rooms: Promoting maturation or reducing education?

Investigated the impact of assigning poor-prognosis 1st graders to separate transition rooms and contrasted it with giving similar children (transition eligible) regular instruction in an integrated setting. Also examined was the effectiveness of an individualized reading program (New Reading System; NRS) in teaching low-performance students beginning reading. Results of a study with 76 1st graders selected from 4 urban elementary schools indicate that low-performance students learned beginning reading better in regular instructional settings and under the NRS program. These results may be due to 2 factors: (a) Individualization provided teachers with tools for teaching heterogeneous students. (b) Students in regular settings received substantially more reading instruction. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Letter from North America. Medical practice and criminal law

Aboriginal communities and their health services should prepare together and in advance for caring for an HIV-infected person. Good social support will be the keystone to successful clinical management. Health care workers must look to Aboriginal people for the lead in developing appropriate responses.