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BackgroundAn adequate treatment dose, including a sufficient number of acupuncture treatments, is important for the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for common conditions.ObjectiveTo examine the characteristics of US adults who used a full course of acupuncture (≥6 treatments), a short course (1–5 treatments) or no acupuncture, including use of insurance benefits for acupuncture among users.MethodsWe used population-based survey data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the most current nationally representative data including use of acupuncture. We described subgroups of acupuncture users and used logistic regression to estimate the odds of past year acupuncture use versus non-use and completion of a full treatment course versus a short course. Covariates included demographic factors and health status. Analyses used strata, weights and clustering to account for the complex sample design.ResultsAmong acupuncture users, 38% completed a full course. Acupuncture use was low (1.5%), but odds were higher among women and those with greater education and less poverty. Those who used acupuncture insurance benefits and who had greater education were more likely to receive a full treatment course. Insurance benefits attenuated disparities in use by sex and race/ethnicity.ConclusionNationally, most people who use acupuncture do not receive a full treatment course. Considering evidence of effectiveness, low risk and relatively low cost of delivery, acupuncture could play a larger role in non-pharmaceutical treatment of common conditions such as pain. Policymakers should consider that, without insurance benefits for acupuncture, people are less likely to complete a full treatment course, which may contribute to disparities in use and health outcomes.

Objective To examine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and related factors among patients with smear-positive and smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) within 2 years after completion of directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS), and to compare their HRQoL with a comparison group of community-dwelling individuals without TB in South Tarawa, Kiribati. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 206 pulmonary TB patients who had completed DOTS and 214 individuals without TB, from July to September 2012. HRQoL was measured using the Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36). Results The patients with TB had a statistically significantly higher physical component summary (PCS) score and mental component summary (MCS) score on the SF-36 than the comparison group after adjustment for background characteristics. However, the differences did not exceed the 3-point threshold for clinically significant differences. Multiple liner regression showed that older age and presence of persistent symptoms after completion of DOTS were related to a lower PCS score in TB patients. Patients who were smear-positive before DOTS treatment had higher MCS scores than those who were smear-negative. Conclusions Our results suggest the effectiveness of DOTS treatment. Health professionals can enhance HRQoL among posttreatment TB patients by managing their symptoms.

The SEED (Student Enterprise Experience in Dunedin) programme was developed as a four-week, intensive entrepreneurial ‘boot camp’ to provide a small group of participants with a highly experiential business course. Using pre-course and post-course surveys, the authors measured the entrepreneurial ability, knowledge and intentions of the sixteen SEED participants to determine whether the programme was successful as an educational format. The results showed that perceived entrepreneurial ability and knowledge significantly improved, while intent increased but not significantly. Almost all participants intended to start a business both before and after the course, while twice as many (six) indicated that they would undertake further formal study in entrepreneurship after the course compared to before. The data suggest that SEED is filling a niche in entrepreneurial development and support for budding entrepreneurs, with the course also facilitating local business development.

Treatment options for established post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) are limited. Complex lymphedema therapy (CLT), a non-invasive treatment that improves lymphatic flow, may have the potential to improve PTS. We conducted a single-center, investigator-blind, randomized controlled trial of 31 patients with a clinically established diagnosis of PTS and compared the efficacy of graduated compression stockings alone (30–40 mmHg) with CLT, a treatment that includes compression stockings, exercise, patient education, skin care and lymphatic drainage. Primary outcomes were the 1- and 3-month changes in PTS severity by the Villalta score and disease-specific quality of life using the VEINES-QOL (Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study Quality of Life) questionnaire. Analysis was by intent-to-treat. We found from a baseline average score of 9.9 points, CLT reduced mean PTS severity scores by −2.4 points ( p=0.02) at the 1-month and −2.3 points ( p=0.05) at the 3-month follow-up. Score reductions with stockings only were similar at −2.1 ( p=0.03) and −3.3 points ( p=0.03) at 1 and 3 months. The differences in score between treatments were not significant. Neither treatment significantly changed the VEINES-QOL score except in patients with severe disease. Patients with moderate to severe PTS derived the greatest benefit from either therapy and the two therapies differentially impacted PTS signs and symptoms. We found a short course of lymphedema therapy and compression stockings offer similar benefit in patients with PTS; however, larger studies are needed to further explore the potential use of CLT in PTS, particularly in patients with more severe disease. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00633971.

New faculty and others have limited time to develop new courses and course lectures. Using a short course on human factors and nuclear power as a case study, the author identified tips for finding course-related online resources, which can accelerate the development of course materials. The 11 resources include (1 and 2) course syllabi in the education resources sections of society web sites or otherwise posted on the web, (3) lecture material linked to those syllabi, (4) lectures on the web found using the topic name and “.ppt” extension, (5) graphics found using the Google image tool, (6) books on Amazon.com sorted by relevance, (7) key articles found using Google Scholar, (8) key articles found using databases such as Web of Knowledge and Scopus, (9) reports on industry specific web sites (e.g., Electric Power Research Institute), (10) standards on the International Standards Organization web site listed under technical committee work programs, and (11) videos on YouTube.

Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) generally experience high levels of stress and report poorer emotional well-being and family functioning compared to parents of children with other disabilities. They also tend to rely on emotional rather than problem-focused coping strategies. Seven group-based sessions were offered to two groups of parents of children with ASD in Iran (37 in all). In addition to providing information about ASD emphasis was placed on families sharing their experiences and learning from one another. A pre-post, cross-over design was used to evaluate the specific impact of the course. The changes found among the parents in the first group were replicated with the second group. Moreover the changes were sustained up to 15 weeks after the course ended. Although there were variations across the parents, in general they reported feeling less stress, had better emotional wellbeing and family functioning and made more use of problem-focused coping strategies. The changes were attributed mainly to an increase in the informal supports among the parents and their feelings of empowerment. A resource pack has been developed to enable the group sessions to be easily repeated and for facilitators to be trained in its use.

Commonly in Australia and New Zealand, initial intensive care support of critically ill patients is by non-intensive care trained medical and nursing staff. Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care (BASIC) is an internationally run short course to assist practitioners to gain knowledge and skills to manage the early hours of critical illness. The aim of this study was to assess the performance and acceptance of the BASIC course as conducted in an Australian metropolitan teaching hospital and a major regional centre in New Zealand. Performance on pre- and post-course multiple choice examinations and the overall course assessment by all participants attending between 2005 and 2009 was analysed. Of 796 participants, 338 (42%) were in Australia and 458 (58%) in New Zealand. Compared to New Zealand, Australian non-intensive care consultants and junior medical staff attended more commonly at 9% vs 4% and 62% vs 42% respectively, while nurses more frequently attended in New Zealand (47% compared to 12%, P 2=0.38, P The BASIC course was found to be a positive learning experience for health care practitioners inexperienced in the management of the critically ill.

The widespread involvement of librarians in information literacy education has raised concerns about their development as teachers, but there is little research on their acquisition and application of pedagogical knowledge. A questionnaire was used to collect mainly quantitative data about the teaching roles, pedagogical knowledge and professional development of subject librarians in 82 UK higher education institutions. Two expert interviews and a literature review informed the design and contextualized the findings. The survey showed postholders were engaged in a variety of teaching-related activities, regarded as central to their work. Contrary to assumptions, most felt confident about teaching and thought their knowledge sufficient, giving examples of pedagogical theory gained via courses informing their teaching practice. Although on-the-job development was common, the majority had undertaken a short course and/or extended programme. Respondents favoured incorporating a teaching module into initial professional education and providing tailored programmes for librarians with substantial teaching roles.

With an estimated one-third of the world's population infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and approximately 1.6 million deaths in 2006 attributed to tuberculosis (TB) world-wide, TB remains a major public health concern today. Considerable advances have been made in the effective treatment of TB, in particular with the adoption of directly observed therapy short course (DOTS), in national TB control programs, but in spite of this the currently available regimens are suboptimal. The long courses of therapy required, together with significant medication side-effects and resulting difficulties with adherence to therapy all contribute to increasing problems with emerging drug resistance. There is thus an urgent need for new antituberculous drug development, especially to enable effective shorter course therapy for drug-susceptible and resistant TB, to find effective drugs for treatment of drug-resistant TB, to shorten therapy for latent TB infection and to reduce drug interactions in combination with antiretroviral therapy, a major issue in the treatment of HIV co-infected patients. This review will attempt to summarize the current recommendations for treatment of TB and then describe the most promising new antimicrobials with activity against MTB, focusing on the ones currently undergoing clinical trials.

Shackdweller communities are among the most impoverished and exploited on the planet. With nearly 1 billion people living in them, one might consider them to be hotbeds of radicalism. Yet, in fact, very few settlements have become disobedient. Using the work of S'bu Zikode of the Abahlali baseMjondolo Shackdwellers Movement (South Africa) and the work of Alain Badiou, I show how politics is lived in Durban's shacks, and show how Badiou's thoughts supplement a series of uniquely African instances of politics.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often given a prescription for a short course of oral steroids and antibiotics for self-administration during an acute exacerbation. The main objective of this study was to determine the impact of such prescriptions on medical care utilization, and steroids and antibiotics intake. This retrospective cohort study included patients with moderate to severe COPD participating in a self-management programme. We compared the number of unplanned medical visits (including hospitalizations) and the utilization of systemic steroids (number of short courses, number of days on treatment) and antibiotics (number of treatments) over a period of six months following registration to the programme in patients who received such a prescription and those who did not. Data were collected from hospital and community pharmacy files. A total of 89 patients were included; 46 received a self-administered prescription. During the study period, we found no difference between the two groups in the number of unplanned medical visits. However, we observed small but significant differences in the number of short courses of Prednisone ( P = 0.018) and antibiotics ( P = 0.006). This translated in an important difference in the number of days on steroids over the same period (`Prescription' group: 26; controls: 8; P = 0.005). Self-administered prescriptions may increase steroids and antibiotics utilization in patients with moderate to severe COPD, without reducing the number of unplanned medical visits. Chronic Respiratory Disease 2007; 4: 143—147

India harbors approximately one-third of the world's tuberculosis cases. The disease being multi-factorial; various political, social and economic factors play pivotal roles in causation and control. The country's policy-makers, via the Revised National Tuberculosis Programme (RNTCP), have embraced DOTS, i.e. Directly Observed Treatment; short course, as a means of combating the disease. Today, a decade after being launched, the DOTS programme in India is the largest in the world. The achievements of the programme have been significant in reaching out to the millions and having impressive cure rates, but the disease is far from eradicated. Social taboos, economic obstacles, and deficient infrastructure are impediments that hamper the success of the programme. With multidrug-resistant TB and HIV co-infection complicating the management of TB; the task has become more daunting. In a country as heterogeneous as India, novel holistic strategies that address individual needs will have to be developed to successfully curb the spread of the disease in the future. Chronic Respiratory Disease 2007; 4: 101—106

Objective: To assess the acceptability and benefits to general practitioners (GPs) of a short course on the management of depression and anxiety. Method: One hundred and twenty-two GPs from southeast metropolitan Melbourne participated in a five-session short course. Pre- and postmeasures of knowledge, attitude and self-evaluated clinical practice and a post-measure of participant satisfaction were completed. Results: The course was overwhelmingly appreciated by participating GPs. In the group as a whole, knowledge, attitude and certain elements of clinical practice changed in a positive and predicted direction. General practitioners affirmed the use of an interpersonal and problem-solving framework for patients more commonly than a cognitive-behavioural one. Conclusions: Brief educational interventions are useful and, through improving GP knowledge, attitude and clinical practice, have an important role to play in enhancing the capacity of GPs to assist people with depression and anxiety.

Of 460 interns from five Pakistani teaching hospitals surveyed, only 22% correctly identified the estimated number of new TB cases in Pakistan. The majority (96%) knew that droplet infection was the usual mode of transmission. Only 38% considered sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli as the best test for diagnosis of pulmonary TB and 43.5% for follow-up during TB treatment. The recommended four-drug anti-TB regimen was prescribed by 56.5% in the initiation phase and the recommended two-drug combination in the continuation phase by 52%. Most interns (82%) were unable to identify a single component of directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) strategy. Our study reflects poor awareness of and low compliance to the World Health Organization/National Tuberculosis Programme guidelines among interns. For effective control of TB, immediate action to improve undergraduate and continuing medical education is essential, with special emphasis on national guidelines.

This article outlines a graduate-level, one-time-only family therapy course that prepares counseling trainees to be competent at entry-level family therapy in the United States. The approach outlined addresses the training concerns of programs that significantly emphasize individual-focused paradigms and that have limited time to train counseling trainees in family therapy. The pedagogical model draws from the empirically supported brief strategic family therapy model, family process research, relational psychotherapy, and integrative psychotherapy approaches. This article highlights the importance of preparing trainees to develop a strong understanding of how families function before they delve into family therapy treatment. It also highlights the ease at which empirically supported interventions can be integrated into a family therapy course. Although anecdotes and teaching evaluations indicate that the model fits well for trainees, the model needs to be tested for its long-term utility in clinical settings and it needs to be expanded to couples counseling.

Having had considerable practical experience of ultrasound in Tropical Medicine during my work in Africa establishing ultrasound training programmes, it was as a result of very kind sponsorship from Philips Medical Systems and BMUS that I had the opportunity to reinforce this with some theoretical education and training through attendance at this excellent short course held at the Division of Infectious and Tropical Disease at Pavia University. Pavia is an old provincial capital of Roman origin in Northern Italy and home to one of the more ancient universities in Europe, it is situated approximately 40 km south of Milan and in 1999 came first in the most ‘ liveable city’ competition. It is a peaceful, clean town with a number of fine medieval churches and palaces in its cobbled streets. Dr Enrico Brunetti organizer of this annual course with considerable experience and interest in ultrasound is head of the ultrasound unit within the Infectious and Tropical Diseases unit, which is part of the St Matteo hospital that has approximately 1200 beds, 60 of which are within this specialized unit. The course consisted of 20 h ‘ hands-on’ practical teaching and 20 h of lectures. Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases that used to be virtually unknown to physicians in industrialized countries are now increasingly encountered because of immigration from endemic countries. Topics included in the syllabus were: · Ultrasound in prevalence studies of parasitic disease. · Ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal abscess, cystic echinococcosis and schistosomiasis. · Ultrasound in AIDS, fascioliasis and abdominal TB. · Ultrasound and hepatocarcinoma along with the role of ultrasound in filiariasis and the tropical spleen. So it was time for a little acute revision in my reliable companion for the past few years, the Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine. Other participants in the course were clinicians from all over Europe and Russia with a variable amount of ultrasound experience, each with different medical expertise but all sharing a common interest in Tropical Medicine; some intending to work Overseas in the near future (see Fig. 1).

In the majority of academic institutions nursing and medical students receive a traditional education, the content of which tends to be specific to their future roles as health care professionals. In essence, each curriculum design is independent of each course. Over the last decade, however, interest has been accumulating in relation to interprofessional and multiprofessional learning at student level. With the view that learning together during their student training would not only encourage and strengthen future collaboration in practice settings but also enhance patient care, the University of Dundee decided to run a pilot study to explore shared teaching in ethics between medical and nursing students. This article presents a report on the reasons for selecting health care ethics as a precursor for shared teaching, the educational tool used for the sessions, and the results of student and facilitator evaluation of the short course. Overall, despite problems such as poor attendance by some students, and facilitation and timetable difficulties, most of the feedback from students and facilitators has been positive. In essence the ‘idea’ has gone from strength to strength and there are now three levels of shared teaching in ethics between nursing and medical students, with plans to include further sessions with students from other disciplines. Within the text, ‘health care ethics’ will be referred to as ‘ethics’; nursing students/nurses encompasses midwifery students/midwives.

In order to determine the efficacy of short-course intermittent chemotherapy for tuberculosis in young infants less than 6 months of age, 15 newly diagnosed infants were treated with isoniazid (10-15 mg/kg) and rifampin (10-15 mg/kg), with/without streptomycin (30 mg/kg), daily for 15 days followed by similar doses of isoniazid and rifampin twice a week for another 8.5 months. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 10 years. No patient demonstrated relapse following the termination of the treatment. These results suggest that short-course, intermittent treatment may be safe and effective for treating tuberculosis in young infants.

Although recent discussions of second-language reading comprehension suggest that it is more effectively taught and learnt in content-based classes, there have been very few published investigations of comprehension difficulties that students in TESOL settings experience in the course of content-based reading, and relatively few accounts of pedagogic initiatives in this important area. The present exploratory study was motivated by concerns over difficulties that learners of physics in a secondary school setting appeared to encounter in reading, understanding and applying the material in their subject textbook. The study combines a diagnostic phase, in which learners' perceptions of their own reading habits and difficulties are examined, and an implementation phase, which describes how a short course in content area reading was developed, taught and evaluated. The article sets out the main findings of both phases and suggests implications for pedagogy and educational change.

Objective/Hypothesis: We aimed to determine whether an 8-week online training program for developing skills in short course development and delivery was effective in establishing locally driven, sustainable, evidence-based training for Bangladeshi hand therapists. Materials and Methods: Five Bangladeshi therapists from a rehabilitation center participated in the course, which was facilitated online by an Australian university. They completed 8 prerecorded modules over a 3-month period and were assessed in situ on their ability to deliver a hand therapy tutorial to their peers. A qualitative explanatory case study design was used to evaluate outcomes, drawing on data gathered from precourse, postcourse, and 1-year follow-up surveys, observations (including interactions during the course and final participant presentations), and a postcourse focus group. Results: The course achieved 6 of its 9 objectives, with all participants satisfactorily planning and delivering an evidence-based interactive tutorial to their peers. Participants noted improved competence and confidence in searching for evidence, and developing and executing a teaching plan. This was sustained at 1-year review. The key theme was a shift in participants’ concept of learning from being an expert-driven to a self-driven exercise. Enablers were multimodal teaching techniques, the presence of a local leader, and the establishment of informal peer support. Barriers were logistical issues such as access to reliable Internet services, and late delivery of course materials. Conclusions: Online distance education can be effective in producing sustainable change in practitioner skills in developing countries. Future programs would benefit from a blended learning approach incorporating “face-to-face” instructor contact.

Even by its own standards, Pakistan is going through a turbulent phase of its brief history as obscurantist clerics fight would-be democrats for control of its future

Introduction Management of tuberculosis spine still possesses many challenges. Availability of antitubercular drugs has changed the outcome. However, present recommendation by the WHO of Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) has sound scientific basis, but the optimum duration is still controversial. We conducted a prospective study on a consecutive series of patients with spinal tuberculosis treated with Category I Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) regime based on DOTS strategy from January 2011 to June 2014 to evaluate the efficacy and to come to a conclusion regarding optimum duration of treatment. Patients and Methods A prospective study of 60 consecutive patients of spinal tuberculosis treated with Category I RNTCP based on DOTS strategy. All the patients were followed for a minimum of 1 year. Surgical intervention was done in patients presenting with significant neurological deficits. Patients diagnosed clinicoradiologically and histopathologically ( n = 8) were enrolled in the study. The outcome was graded into excellent, good, fair, and poor based on clinical, laboratory including return of ESR to normal and correction of lymphocytosis and radiological like a return to normal bone density and sclerosis, bony ankylosis, and disappearance of marrow edema on MRI. Results In 60 cases, 63.4% ( n = 34) males and 36.7% ( n = 26) females. Overall, 10% ( n = 6) were with predestructive lesion, 53.3% ( n = 32) were in the early destructive phase, 30% ( n = 18) with mild angular kyphosis and 6.67% ( n = 4) with moderate angular kyphosis. Outcome of our study were excellent in 46.67% ( n = 28), good in 36.67% ( n = 22), fair in 10% ( n = 6), and poor in 6.67% ( n = 4). Duration to cure spinal tuberculosis 6 months 30% ( n = 18), 9 months 56.67% ( n = 34), and 12 months 13.33% ( n = 8). Conclusion The duration of treatment for cure of spinal tuberculosis was 100% ( n = 6) in predestructive and 37.5% ( n = 12) in early destructive phases was 6 months, 62.5% ( n = 20) early destructive, and 77.76% ( n = 14) mild kyphotic phases were 9 months and 22.2% ( n = 4) mild destructive and 100% ( n = 4) moderate kyphotic phases was 12 months. Favorable outcome and short duration of chemotherapy is needed in patients treated early.

This article illustrates how the logic model and a course on program evaluation at a large health sciences centre were instrumental in preparing staff to evaluate their own programs. Staff and physicians need basic skills in program evaluation. The logic model is a simple yet useful tool in helping to identify key measurables. A short course to teach the theory and practice of logic models, evaluation design, choice and design of measures, and data analysis has been shown to be a practical solution in preparing staff and physicians to evaluate their own programs.

JALA December 2004 15A A s my year as ALA president approaches its end, I look forward with great anticipation to ALA’s continued progress in 2005, and to LabAutomation2005 in particular. The changes and new initiatives that will be unveiled at LabAutomation are a testament to ALA’s determination and positive momentum. They are tangible examples of the organization’s success in its strategic and longterm planning initiative. For starters, the structure of the scientific program has been reshaped to serve a more diverse public of scientists, engineers, and technology managers, ultimately a more diverse membership. The five tracks now are organized by technologies, and should thus appeal to not only the biopharma and clinical organizations, but to any industry or organization utilizing laboratory instrumentation and technologies. The five core content tracks include detection and separation, microtechnologies, high-throughput technologies, informatics, and frontiers beyond biopharma. Each of these core tracks features a menu of pertinent focus areas that collectively span the continuum of today’s most important laboratory technologies, including clinical technologies, emerging technologies and systems integration. In addition, the short course offerings have been redesigned, and new events include Techno Jams and what promises to be a very compelling Session in the Round. To reinforce the fact that the ALA LabAutomation conference is the most important place to

c I had my first encounter with ALA through Dr. Tony Beugeldijk, who is one of the founders of ALA, back in 1997. At that time, I was working for Tony as a graduate student on the Automation & Robotics team at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. One day, Tony stopped by my office and asked me if I would be interested in teaching a Java introductory short course at LabAutomation’98 in San Diego. At first, I hesitated, primarily because English was not my native language and I wasn’t sure if I could successfully teach a whole day in English. Nevertheless, I overcame my fears and agreed to do it. In the end, everything went fine, despite my strong German accent. I have been actively involved in the LabAutomation short course program and ALA ever since. Although I had worked in the area of laboratory automation since 1994 through my affiliations with the University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden, Germany, and the National Institute of Standards and Technologies, LabAutomation’98 was the first conference I had ever attended on the subject. It was a great experience forme. Learning aboutwhat others were doing and getting unbiased feedback onmy own work, plus the multitude of professional networking opportunities are still themost valuable attributes that LabAutomation and ALA have to offer me today. From a professional point of view, the contacts that I have been able to make through volunteering for committees, authoring papers for JALA, and attending and presenting at ALA-sponsored events have been invaluable to me. I am also lucky to say

Introduction Teaching bedside procedure skills to medical students is typically done during inpatient ward rotations at the actual patient9s bedside. We investigated the practicality of a short bedside procedure skills course using standardized patients for incoming third-year medical students. Methods The short bedside procedures course involved incoming third-year medical students (n = 198) at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and was part of the clerkship orientation week at the beginning of the 2004-2005 academic year. Students were tested prior to the orientation week with a 12 question on-line quiz that covered the following topics: arterial blood gas sampling, central line technique, thoracocentesis, paracentesis, and lumbar puncture. Questions on the pretest covered indications for the procedure, anatomical landmarks, technique, and complications. During the end of the week, students completed an on-line posttest. The posttest was matched to the pretest in terms of similarly worded questions and topics. Participation in the pretest and posttest was completely optional. Attendance of a one-hour didactic session at the beginning of the week was mandatory as well as a one-hour small group session demonstrating each bedside procedure. Students were divided into small groups of 5 for the bedside procedure demonstration sessions. Standardized patients were used during these one-hour small group sessions. Actual procedure kits were used during the demonstration. Needles were not uncapped during the demonstration. The standardized patients were used to demonstrate anatomical landmarks and body positioning. Results A total of 73 students completed both the pretest and the posttest. The mean score on the pretest was 62%, while the mean score on the posttest was 80%. Discussion From the results, it is apparent that these incoming third-year medical students improved their knowledge in bedside procedure skills after the short course. Students appreciated the opportunity to observe a mock demonstration of actual bedside procedures in a simulated environment. Conclusion A short bedside procedure course taught at the beginning of the third year can be very helpful for students in terms of improving their knowledge in indications, technique, and complications of bedside procedures. The on-line pretest also allowed students to identify areas of weakness in bedside procedures, while the on-line posttest allowed students to track their improvement and further identify areas of weakness.

Introduction Teaching comprehensive ECG reading skills to medical students in a systematic manner can require a long time frame that may not be practical in a packed curriculum. Many students also learn to read electrocardiograms during ward rounds in a hit or miss fashion. We therefore investigated the efficacy of a short comprehensive didactic ECG course for medical students. Methods The short ECG course involved third-year medical students (n = 220) at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and was part of the internal medicine clerkship curriculum during the 2003-2004 academic year. Students were tested during the first week of the clerkship with an 18 question on-line ECG quiz that covered the following topics: rate, rhythm, axis, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, atrioventricular and bundle branch blocks, ischemia, and infarcts. During the second week of the clerkship, students attended two hours of didactic sessions covering these topics. An on-line posttest followed during the third week. Scanned electrocardiograms from real patients were used for the on-line testing. The posttest was matched to the pretest in terms of similar ECG findings. The posttest also was offered electively to all internal medicine residents and interns. Participation by house staff was voluntary. Only ten residents and interns opted to take the posttest. Results The overall identification rate for the pretest was 60%, while the overall identification rate for the posttest was 70%. The overall identification rate for residents and interns on the posttest was 78%. Discussion From the results, it is apparent that these third-year medical students improved their ECG reading skills after the short course, not quite equaling that of interns and residents. The students also appreciated the opportunity to learn ECG reading at the beginning of the internal medicine clerkship in a nonthreatening environment. The short course had a profound effect on the students who performed poorly on the pretest but minimal effect on the students who had done well. The standard deviation decreased from 3.36 on the pretest to 2.72 on the posttest. Conclusion A short ECG course taught at the beginning of the internal medicine clerkship can be very helpful for those students identified as weak in their ECG reading skills. The on-line pretest also allowed students to identify areas of weakness prior to the short course, while the on-line posttest allowed students to track their improvement and further identify areas of weakness.

A short course for the training of supervisors of concession or vending stands operating under the Randolph-Sheppard Act was provided on a trial basis in 1972 and 1973 at the University of Tennessee. Instructors in the areas of educational psychology and guidance, management, marketing, accounting, food science, institution administration, etc., and consultants from the field of work for the blind participated. Thirty-one students attended the first course, 36 the second. Out of the two programs came a Course Guide and the recommendation that an ongoing graduate-level program be established.

The purposes of updating are seen as fa) improving job performance, (b) developing the country's engineering manpower, and (c) increasing job satisfaction. This leads to the actions which can be taken by employers, individuals, government and professional institutions, as well as consideration of the part being played by the Engineering Council. The development of updating plans is an important part of implementing future business plans. Updating is defined as technical and professional development subsequent to first qualification as a professional practitioner. It can cover a wide range of topics dealt with in many ways, ranging from counselling on the job to a specialized short course or the use of distance learning systems. Information technology (IT) is an important example affecting most of industry. Updating courses usually have a short-term objective and are aimed at solving specific problems—they differ in nature from most initial courses. Finally the questions of certifying and quantifying units of continuing education and training are also considered.

The paper argues that it is necessary to teach social scientists `data analysis' rather than `statistics'. Instruction in statistical principles needs to be closely integrated with the use of appropriate software packages and secondary data sets. It is also suggested that a discussion of interval level techniques such as correlation and regression should precede the introduction of the supposedly simpler technique of cross tabulation. The merits of intensive short course module teaching are also briefly examined.

The attitudes toward death and dying of fourteen students who took a death course were compared with those of a group of students who requested the course but were not able to be accommodated. Those completing the course had higher fear of death scores and rated death more potent on a semantic differential. However, these students also indicated they would feel more comfortable talking with a dying person. Comments on the anonymous course evaluations also suggested that the course had a positive impact.

The combination of professional expertise and student-led discussions in a short course leads to a high enrollment, credit course.

The principal plays a crucial role in increasing student achievement by emphasizing that reading is a high priority in all secondary school classes, says this writer. She sees the principal as an instructional leader who has a high impact on improving teacher performance and student academic achievement.

After a short historical introduction, the various kinds of formal post-graduate courses in mechanical engineering are briefly surveyed. These range from the short course of one or two days to the full-scale graduate course of 12 months or thereabouts and assessment is made of their respective suitabilities for different purposes. The main emphasis in this paper is placed on the 12-month M.Sc. course and a variety of organizational and educational aspects of this type of course are considered. They include: (1) the problem of the initial assimilation into a common course of students of varying ages, industrial experience, and academic freshness; (2) the inclusion of project work in a basically formal course; (3) the possibility of subdividing the 12-month period into a number of shorter periods in order to facilitate the release of staff from industry; (4) the desirable proportion of overseas students in a course; (5) the relationship between a graduate course and the research activities of a department. Connections with, and support from, industry are considered, as is the influence of S.R.C. Studentships on recruitment. The Robbins Committee recommendations on advanced formal courses are reviewed, and their effect on the growth in numbers of such courses is considered. Comment is made on certain implications of the Arthur Report and the probable future development of one-year post-graduate courses is discussed.