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Purpose: To determine the attitudes to research and research training among ophthalmologists and ophthalmology trainees in New Zealand. Methods: A structured, self-administered questionnaire was devised and after preliminary validation a postal survey was sent to all ophthalmologists and ophthalmology registrars and fellows in New Zealand. Results: A total of 82 replies were received from 115 questionnaires sent out; a response rate of 71.3%. An overwhelming majority found research to have benefited their education, clinical practice and careen 67.1 % of the respondents intended to do research in the future. Although a majority (56.4%) felt research to be beneficial to ophthalmology training, 42.3% felt research would be of limited or no benefit when selecting candidates for vocational training. However, 97.5% of respondents felt that ophthalmology trainees should undertake some form of research during training, with most supporting small studies or case reports (44.4%) or a short structured training course in research (42.0%). Interestingly, 86.6% felt that research methodology and data analysis should be taught in a structured fashion with most supporting courses or seminars of a few weeks duration during the vocational training period. Many ophthalmologists felt inadequately equipped or trained to mentor and supervise trainees undertaking research and 41.5% of consultant ophthalmologists felt further training-to fulfil this role would be beneficial. Conclusions: This survey suggests that New Zealand ophthalmologists generally approve of and support a place for research, possibly of a more structured design, during ophthalmology training.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a tutorial, student-centered, problem-driven educational strategy adopted by medical and allied health educators to positively influence self-directed learning, critical thinking, and learning behavior. PBL was examined in dietetics education through random assignment of 32 undergraduate dietetics students for two weeks to either a problem-based or a lecture-based case format for the infant and elderly units of a 16-week lifespan nutrition course. Random assignment followed stratification for gender and earlier course examination performance. Expert validation of PBL curricular components and noted differences in discussion structure and information resources verified curriculum distinctiveness. Main outcome measures were pre- and post-Cognitive Behavior Survey scores for memorization, reflection, and positive learning experience scales, unit and course evaluations and unit examination scores. Students in problem-based modules demonstrated greater gains in reflective thinking with stable memorization, suggesting improved critical thinking skills. Tenets that problem-based learning promotes knowledge retention and provides a more positive learning experience were not upheld. Knowledge acquisition was not hindered by a problem-based approach. We conclude that gains in reflective thinking and evidence of increased self-directed learning argue for inclusion of PBL in dietetics curricula and that a problem-based education will help dietitians successfully respond to professional development needs. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:1020-1025. © 2003 American Dietetic Association.

The number of foreign adolescents taking part in vocational training in West Germany has risen considerably since the 1970s. However, analyses applying the IAB employment subsample show that it is much harder for foreigners to find employment after having finished their professional training than it is for Germans. Non-German men, in particular, have to leave the training firm or their training occupation more often than German men; furthermore incidence of unemployment is higher and they are more often employed below their level of qualification. A comparison among cohorts reveals but slight changes regarding the differences between Germans and foreigners. Multivariate analyses point to the fact that both the structures of vocational training and the coping with the "second threshold" are responsible for the inferior career start chances of foreigners.

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Occupational irritant contact dermatitis in the food industry will be playing an important role in the next decades and will be challenging people involved in prevention, diagnostics and therapy. To interfere successfully with the natural course of the disease, knowledge about prevalence, causes and risk factors is crucial. Recent studies in the food industry revealed that irritant contact dermatitis was common in the first months of vocational training. After 6 months of training 29.1% of the apprentices had developed hand dermatitis. 50% of the individuals with skin atopy and 30% of individuals without a history of skin atopy were affected. At the end of the training 27.5% had hand dermatitis. The cumulative prevalence of hand dermatitis was 41.3%. Skin protection habits of the apprentices were insufficient. Endogenous and exogenous risk factors were responsible for the development of hand dermatitis. Atopic skin diathesis, previous or present hand dermatitis and flexural dermatitis were the most important endogenous risk factors. Sex, respiratory atopy, metal allergy were of no importance. Occupational wet work in general, the combination of specific wet work tasks as well as house building and refurbishing in leisure time were important exogenous risk factors. Basal TEWL values were of no use for the prediction of occupational hand dermatitis.

The skills, qualifications and credentials generated by educational systems are strongly related to labour market attainment. The centrality of the educational system for the structuring of individuals' life chances has generated a long-lived and intense debate around the proper design of educational systems. The purpose of this article is to examine whether vocational training provided within the educational system protects graduates against employment precariousness over the life course. The extent and character of vocational training are related here to the transition from school to work, the risk of unemployment once established on the labour market, and the likelihood of finding new employment if unemployed. The data used consist of life history data from Great Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden. The results suggest that the impact of vocational training on labour market precariousness changes over people's work career. Vocational training reduces precariousness during the transition from school to work, whereas there is no difference in the impact of general and vocational education on unemployment risk once established on the labour market. Instead, among those who do become unemployed there are indications that general education may be more beneficial.

Objectives: The objectives of this course were: to develop an induction course for vocational trainees taking up first SHO posts; to enable new dental SHOs to have enhanced skills from the beginning of the post; to create safe practitioners capable of performing SHO duties; and to assess whether such a course is perceived to be beneficial by the SHOs, their educational supervisors and professional colleagues from medicine, dentistry and nursing. Design: A 5-day intensive, interactive course was developed and directed by a consultant maxillofacial surgeon, with contributions from a range of professional colleagues to teach appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes. Subjects: Trainees completing the VT programme; due to commence SHO posts in the Yorkshire Region. Evaluation method: Detailed daily and end of course questionnaires were completed. A post course; in-work evaluation was sought from the trainees, educational supervisors and a range of professional colleagues about the validity of the course. Results: Daily and end of course evaluations were positive about the perceived importance and relevance of the course. After 6 weeks in post the SHOs continued to place high value on the course as a preparation for hospital practice. Feedback from the supervisors and colleagues indicated that the SHOs were performing well, but the influence of the course on performance could not be determined in this study. Conclusion: It was possible to design and deliver an appropriate induction course, which appeared to meet most of the needs of new dental SHOs. Feedback indicated the need for modification of some aspects of the course.

In the nine years since the appearance of the first edition of Stephen Smith’s book, labour economics has become a more firmly entrenched subject on the curriculum. Previously regarded as a subsection within industrial economics, there are now very few universities that do not devote a course to it in its own right. The focus of topics covered within it has also altered - the notion of human capital has now become much more central and microeconomic considerations are now as widely studied as macroeconomic phenomena. The 2nd edition will address these changes and give greater centrality to microeconomics to reflect current course teaching. The book adopts an international focus and covers important themes such as: • labour demand and supply • wage determination and unions • personnel economics • unemployment and globalisation. With features such as case studies, end of chapter questions, further reading sections, this new edition will prove popular with all students of labour economics. © 1994, 2003 Stephen Smith.

Certain proposals are difficult to challenge and appear to be beyond debate. The call for improved quality of healthcare is one of these. And certainly, the call for more leaders and more highly skilled leaders in the healthcare industry is another, especially in these times of rapid change, strained resources and concern about quality. Though the goal of preparing more leaders, and in particular preparing more highly skilled leaders, is meritorious, the premises underlying this goal and the methods of achieving it deserve careful examination. This commentary questions the ability to accurately forecast the supply of and demand for leaders in the healthcare industry and examines selected aspects of the 10 principles for leadership development proposed in the lead paper.