Journal of medical education
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A study of concerns of 100 middle-class mothers and fathers who had lost infants revealed that the death of an infant or fetus (through miscarriage) was viewed as devastating because of inadequate community recognition of the loss. The impact of these deaths and the lack of community support forces the parents to turn to their physicians from whom they attempt to seek counsel and comfort. Many physicians, unfortunately, are unable to meet the parent's needs because they cannot deal with death on the personal level, and/or their training militates against their accepting a shift in responsibility from "healer" to "counselor-consoler." Thus, an impasse often is reached in which the expectations of parents exceed the service that the physician is able or willing to render. This detracts from the physician's ability to fulfill adequately his role of provider of total care.
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For this study of attitudes surrounding premedical education, the authors examined the consequences of competitive pressure for admission to medical school. Responses of premedical and other students were compared on a number of topics including: self-descriptions, premedical stereotypes, occupational values, attitudes toward various occupations, and perceptions of college pressures. Differences are reported for premedical subgroups, including science and nonscience majors, men and women, and minority group members and others.
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Comparative Study
Specialty certification in North America: a comparative analysis of examination results.
The pass/fail results of 44 North American medical specialty certification examinations are compared and analyzed. A calculated annual failure rate was used to equate one- and two-part examinations. Failure rates on American boards generally varied between 8 and 61 percent. ⋯ Failure rates for comparable North American and FMG candidates tended to be higher on Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada specialty certification examinations than on equivalent American specialty board examinations. The place of specialty certification in the continuum of American graduate medical education is delineated. Questions are raised concerning the standards required for specialty certification.