The role of curriculum in influencing students to select generalist training: a 21-year longitudinal study. (1/401)

To determine if specific curricula or backgrounds influence selection of generalist careers, the curricular choices of graduates of Mount Sinai School of Medicine between 1970 and 1990 were reviewed based on admission category. Students were divided into three groups: Group 1, those who started their first year of training at the School of Medicine; Group 2, those accepted with advanced standing into their third year of training from the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, a five-year program developed to select and produce students likely to enter primary care fields; and Group 3, those accepted with advanced standing into the third year who spent the first two years at a foreign medical school. All three groups took the identical last two years of clinical training at the School of Medicine. These were no significant differences with respect to initial choice of generalist training programs among all three groups, with 46% of the total cohort selecting generalist training. Of those students who chose generalist programs, 58% in Group 1, 51% in Group 2, and 41% in Group 3 remained in these fields rather than progressing to fellowship training. This difference was significant only with respect to Group 3. However, when an analysis was performed among those students providing only primary care as compared to only specialty care, there were no significant differences. Analysis by gender revealed women to be more likely to select generalist fields and remain in these fields without taking specialty training (P < .0001). Differentiating characteristics with respect to choosing generalist fields were not related to either Part I or Part II scores on National Board Examinations or selection to AOA. However, with respect to those specific specialties considered quite competitive (general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and ophthalmology), total test scores on Part I and Part II were significantly higher than those of all other students. The analysis indicated that, despite the diverse characteristics of students entering the third year at the School of Medicine, no one group produced a statistically greater proportion of generalists positions than any other, and academic performance while in medical school did not have a significant influence on whether a student entered a generalist field.  (+info)

Agreeing criteria for audit of the management of induced abortion: an approach by national consensus survey. (2/401)

OBJECTIVE: To obtain a national consensus view of suggested criteria for good quality care in induced abortion to serve as a basis for standards for audit to assess current clinical practice. DESIGN: Postal, questionnaire survey assessing consensus agreement with criteria identified from a literature review and refined by an invited panel of four gynaecologists and the gynaecology audit project in Scotland (GAPS) committee. SETTING: Scotland. SUBJECTS: All 132 practising consultant gynaecologists. MAIN MEASURES: Overall level of agreement with each of 20 suggested audit criteria. RESULTS: 121 completed questionnaires were received (response rate 92%), of which 119 were returned in time for analysis; 107 came from consultants who practised abortion routinely and were included in the analysis. Nineteen of 20 suggested criteria were validated by an overall balance of agreement. The most strongly supported criterion (agreement score +93) was for ascertaining rhesus status of the woman and prophylaxis after abortion, if indicated. The only criterion to elicit a negative agreement score (-27) was that dilatation and evacuation is the best method of abortion at 12-15 weeks' gestation. The ranked and prioritised criteria resulting from this exercise are being used within a national audit project. CONCLUSIONS: A postal questionnaire survey among interested clinicians resulted in a good response rate and enabled the audit criteria to be validated and ranked more objectively and among more clinicians, than would have been possible by group discussion.  (+info)

Impact of a national audit project on gynaecologists in Scotland. (3/401)

The objectives of the study were (a) to determine consultant gynaecologists' awareness of and views on a national audit project (the gynaecology audit project in Scotland) and (b) to measure changes in their reported practice in relation to 12 specific elements of care related to three audit topics (induced abortion, endometriosis, and vulvar carcinoma) for which recommendations for change had been made within the project. The study comprised a postal questionnaire survey of all 128 consultant gynaecologists in NHS practice in Scotland. The response rate was 90%. Of the respondents, 96% (109/113) recalled receiving feedback material from the audit project team and around 75% (range 66/89 to 84/105) had retained feedback reports for future reference. For the two more common clinical topics (induced abortion and endometriosis), over two thirds of the respondents indicated that they had been prompted to reconsider or change aspects of practice. Significant changes in reported practice, in line with project recommendations, were found for seven of the 12 specific elements of care examined. Thus, gynaecologists in Scotland showed a high level of awareness of and positive views towards a national audit project. Significant changes in reported practice, in accordance with circulated recommendations, were measurable in relation to several elements of clinical care.  (+info)

Sexual health risk assessment and counseling in primary care: how involved are general practitioners and obstetrician-gynecologists? (4/401)

OBJECTIVES: This study examined physicians' evaluation of sexual health risks during a general medical examination and sexually transmitted disease (STD) counseling during consultations for adolescent contraception and treatment of an STD. METHODS: An anonymous mail survey was conducted in 1995 with a stratified random sample of 1086 general practitioners and all 241 obstetrician-gynecologists practicing in Quebec, Canada. RESULTS: Fewer than half of the respondents reported routinely inquiring about condom use and number of sexual partners during a general medical examination. Female general practitioners engaged in more sexual health risk assessment and counseling than male general practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests a low level of involvement in STD prevention by generalists and obstetrician-gynecologists.  (+info)

Do physicians assess lifestyle health risks during general medical examinations? A survey of general practitioners and obstetrician-gynecologists in Quebec. (5/401)

BACKGROUND: In Canada several guidelines have been published for the screening of lifestyle health risks during general medical examinations. The authors sought to examine the extent to which such screening practices have been integrated into medical practice, to measure physicians' perceived level of difficulty in assessing these risks and to document physicians' evaluation of their formal medical training in lifestyle risk assessment. METHODS: An anonymous mail survey was conducted in 1995 in Quebec with a stratified random sample of 1086 general practitioners (GPs) and with all 241 obstetrician-gynecologists (Ob-Gyns). The authors evaluated the proportion of physicians who reported routine assessment (with 90% or more of their patients) of substance use, family violence and sexual history during general medical examinations of adult and adolescent patients; the proportion of those who find inquiring about these issues difficult; and the proportion of those who evaluated their medical training in lifestyle risk assessment as adequate or excellent. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 72.6%. Among adult patients, 82.2% of the GPs reported routinely assessing tobacco use, 67.2% alcohol consumption, 34.2% illicit drug use and 3.2% family violence; the corresponding proportions for assessment among adolescent patients were 77.1%, 61.8%, 52.9% and 5.6%. Comparatively fewer Ob-Gyns reported routinely assessing these issues (56.1%, 28.6%, 20.4% and 1.3% respectively among adults and 62.7%, 35.2%, 26.8% and 2.8% respectively among adolescents). In the area of sexual history, condom use was routinely assessed by more Ob-Gyns than GPs (47.0% v. 28.2%); however, the proportion of Ob-Gyns and GPs was equally low for assessing number of partners (24.8% and 23.1%), sexual orientation (18.8% and 16.9%) and STD risk (26.2% and 21.2%). The vast majority of GPs and Ob-Gyns reported finding it difficult to assess family violence (86.5% and 93.0%) and sexual abuse (92.7% and 92.4% respectively). Over 80% of the physicians felt that they had had adequate or excellent medical training in assessing risk behaviours for heart disease and STD risk. The proportion who felt this way about their training in screening for illicit drug use, family violence and sexual abuse ranged between 12.7% and 31.6%. INTERPRETATION: Although morbidity and mortality associated with smoking, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, unsafe sexual practices, family violence and sexual abuse have been well documented, routine screening for these risk factors during general medical examinations has yet to be integrated into medical practice.  (+info)

Translabial color Doppler for imaging in urogynecology: a preliminary report. (6/401)

OBJECTIVE: A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the use of color Doppler ultrasound in the investigation of female urinary incontinence. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients underwent a full urodynamic assessment and translabial ultrasound examination using color Doppler-capable equipment with 5-7-MHz curved array transducers, both in the supine and in the erect positions. RESULTS: More than minimal leakage was seen in 13 patients by Doppler and in 16 by fluoroscopic imaging. Results were in agreement in 28/37 cases (kappa 0.49). The observed discrepancies may have been due to initial technical difficulties, differences in bladder filling and the presence of a catheter on fluoroscopic imaging. In five incontinent patients, urethral flow velocities ranged from 0.064 to 0.34 m/s, which is equivalent to physiological venous and slow arterial blood flow and one to two orders of magnitude above the detection threshold of standard Doppler ultrasound equipment. CONCLUSIONS: Translabial color Doppler imaging of the lower urinary tract allows the documentation of fluid leakage from the bladder. It has the potential to become the new imaging standard for urogynecology.  (+info)

Endometriosis: presentation to general surgeons. (7/401)

We present nine cases of endometriosis presenting to general surgeons over a period of 4.5 years at Gwynedd Hospital, Bangor. A total of 83 cases of endometriosis was found on analysis of pathology records. Of these, 73 presented to gynaecologists, one to a dermatologist and nine to general surgeons. The presentation to general surgeons includes swelling related to Pfannanstiel scar (two), swelling in inguinal canal (two), umbilical nodule (one), rectal bleeding (one), recurrent abdominal pain (one), mimicking ovarian tumour (one) and presenting as pelvic peritonitis (one). Six were elective admissions and three were admitted as an emergency. All were premenopausal (range 19-49 years) women. None had any previous history of endometriosis or subfertility. Two patients with cyclical symptoms were correctly diagnosed clinically, and the others were postoperative diagnosis. Six patients required gynaecological referral and four of these required further medical treatment. None of them has required further surgical intervention in follow-up (range 4 weeks to 3 years). Endometriosis usually presents to general surgeons with deposits at extragonadal sites. Some patients may present as an emergency with abdominal pain. Endometriosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of women presenting with swellings related to umbilicus, surgical scars, inguinal canal and pelvis, especially if symptoms are cyclical. Usually, surgical excision is adequate. Selected cases require gynaecological referral and further medical therapy.  (+info)

Life span of Japanese male medical doctors. (8/401)

There have been few reports with regard to the life spans of medical doctors. The status of the medical doctors graduating from 1926 to 1974, alive or dead as of October 1996, was ascertained on the basis of the list of graduates from the School of Medicine, Hokkaido University. Excluding data on female doctors and those who died in battle during World War II, data on a total of 3,982 doctors were available for study. Their mortality as of October 1996 decreased in parallel with the graduation year. Their mean future life span at graduation was estimated to be about 52.88 years (95% CI, 52.45-53.31) through linear regression (r = 0.992). Their mean age at graduation was 25.17 years. This was not different from the future life expectancy at 25 years of age of the general population (52.35 years). The future life span of surgeons and gynecologists-obstetricians was shorter than that of the doctors of basic medical sciences and internal medicine. This difference might be accounted for by factors peculiar to each speciality (e.g., exposure to blood) or by the degree of stress from work.  (+info)