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Processes and conditions of production may produce unhealthy effects. Both must therefore be included in the education of health care personnel. Vocational training in occupational health at Kocaeli University Medical School, Turkey aims to demonstrate students that occupational health is a specific and important area of work within the context of primary health care. This research is a cross-sectional study. It was planned as a three stage study: 1- reviewing literature and grouping of countries according to their occupational health curricula; 2- reviewing the occupational health programs of medical schools in Turkey, and 3- recommendations for an occupational health curriculum to include an occupational health vocational training period of one week in the two month public health education program for medical interns. During this experience, senior students would be assigned to workplace health units. Of 283 medical schools found on the web, with occupational health teaching, only 20 have a curriculum that includes training in workplace health care units. In Turkey, there is no structured practical education on occupational health. In the third part of this study, we initiated at Kocaeli University School of Medicine's curriculum, a new occupational health education model applied in the workplace health units of factories. Practical experience of occupational health in the workplace is useful in introducing the community-based approach to occupational health in undergraduate medical education and understanding the determinants of health in industry.

The development of optometric education and the establishment of formal tertiary educational programs in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan are described. The various types of degree and diploma programs from medical and technological universities are differentiated. The definition of optometry, as it is understood by the regulatory bodies and the populace, is discussed. There is more diversity in optometric programs within and across Greater China than among some nations. However, due to cultural and linguistic similarities, interactions and interchanges among institutions/associations at regular intervals are of immense value in harmonising the differences in educational programs and professional practices. Exchange programs, conferences and seminars further enhance the educational standards by exchanging technical knowledge and good clinical practices.

OBJECTIVE: To compare evaluations of teaching effectiveness among hospitalist, general medicine, and subspecialist attendings on general medicine wards. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: A large, inner-city, public teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 423 medical students and house staff evaluating 63 attending physicians. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We measured teaching effectiveness with the McGill Clinical Tutor Evaluation (CTE), a validated 25-item survey, and reviewed additional written comments. The response rate was 81%. On a 150-point composite measure, hospitalists' mean score (134.5 [95% confidence interval (CI), 130.2 to 138.8]) exceeded that of subspecialists (126.3 [95% CI, 120.4 to 132.1]), P = .03. General medicine attendings (135.0 [95% CI, 131.2 to 138.8]) were also rated higher than subspecialists, P = .01. Physicians who graduated from medical school in the 1990s received higher scores (136.0 [95% CI, 133.0 to 139.1]) than did more distant graduates (129.1 [95% CI, 125.1 to 133.1]), P = .006. These trends persisted after adjusting for covariates, but only year of graduation remained statistically significant, P = .05. Qualitative analysis of written remarks revealed that trainees valued faculty who were enthusiastic teachers, practiced evidence-based medicine, were involved in patient care, and developed a good rapport with patients and other team members. These characteristics were most often noted for hospitalist and general medicine attendings. CONCLUSIONS: On general medicine wards, medical students and residents considered hospitalists and general medicine attendings to be more effective teachers than subspecialists. This effect may be related to the preferred faculty members exhibiting specific characteristics and behaviors highly valued by trainees, such as enthusiasm for teaching and use of evidence-based medicine.

This chapter reviews key issues in professional development in the youth development field, describing important work done over the past two decades and lessons learned from major philanthropic investments in capacity building both nationally and locally.

In January 2004, the National Collaboration for Youth approved a list of core competencies needed by entry-level youth development workers for effective youth development practice. This chapter provides an overview of these competencies, explaining why and how the list was created, outcomes, and recommendations for next steps.

[No abstract available]

Advances in medical treatment combined with changes in the demographics of persons who are becoming infected with autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) have transformed this illness from a rapidly progressing to a chronically disabling condition in a short period of time. This paper describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of a program of vocational services for persons with AIDS. This program was studied using a single group design, in which participatory action research strategies were used to investigate and improve the program as it unfolded. In addition to examining the overall outcomes of services, the study aimed to discover which components were most helpful to participants and which participants were most likely to benefit from the program. Of 129 participants of who initially enrolled, 39 dropped out before finishing the program. Sixty of the 90 participants who completed the program achieved employment, returned to school, or began a volunteer position or internship. Consequently, the overall success rate was 46.5% and the success rate for program completers was 66.7%. The occupational narrative, which participants told in their initial assessment interview, was closely associated with both program completion and successful outcomes. This association adds support to the importance of narrative for understanding participants and predicting future behavior, as well as for the therapy process.

Since June 1, 2002, only those dental practitioners holding a specific professional title are entitled to independent practice. Those practitioners are the General Dentists, the Orthodontists and the Periodontists who have had additional vocational training of one, four, or three years respectively, after completion of their study programme leading to a Licentiate in Dental Sciences (Transition measures allowed practising dentists and students who were enrolled in a training program prior to June 1, 2002 to obtain one of these titles). This regulation includes provisions to limit access to the profession for graduates holding a degree delivered by a university in the Flemish community (84 per year) or the French Community (56 per year). In the French Community, the implementation of a Numerus Clausus (limitation of numbers admitted) at the end of the first study cycle allowed for a limitation of the number of students admitted to the second cycle, and as a consequence it limited the number of candidates enrolling in vocational training in order to obtain a specific professional title. The non-compliance with - and later the cancellation of - this limitation resulted in the number of candidates seeking a specific professional title to be larger than the numbers in the quotas imposed by the Federal State.

This paper describes the development, implementation and evaluation of an educational resource, ‘On Track’, designed to support dental SHOs throughout their time in post, thereby helping them gain optimum benefit from this important stage in their early postgraduate training. The need for such a resource was highlighted by a previous study undertaken by the paper’s key authors with SHOs and their trainers in a UK dental school. Among several areas of change identified by both trainers and trainees were the needs to develop the SHO experience into more than an apprenticeship by improving the trainer/trainee relationship, and to encourage trainee-centred learning and self-appraisal. The key aims of ‘On Track’ were therefore to define the outcomes of SHO training, to facilitate the relationship between SHO and educational supervisor (trainer), and to encourage the SHO in reflective learning and self-appraisal. ‘On Track’ was subject to developmental testing with both trainers and trainees to ensure that it could achieve these aims and the resultant resource is described, along with its implementation and evaluation. ‘On Track’ met with mixed success and the reasons behind this and conclusions drawn for the introduction of any future similar resources are outlined. © 2004, Nature Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.

Introduction: This paper reports an evaluation of the West Midlands Key Skills initiative that provides a framework for learning during vocational training (VT). Method: The 48 vocational dental practitioners (VDPs) who began their VT in August 2001 in the West Midlands were surveyed at the start and end of training (45 completed both surveys). They rated their confidence and experience in the 31 components of the Six Key Skills on visual analogue scales. Views were elicited in a survey of both VDPs (47 returns) and their general practice trainers (44 returns). Semi-structured interviews were also held with a stratified sample of 9 trainers and all four VT advisors. Results: In terms of VDP progress, a statistically significant increase in confidence and experience was found in each of the 31 components. Six themes were identified in the views data. (i) Supporting the development of Key Skills; (ii) workload implications; (iii) the ‘right’ six? (iv) links with the advanced diploma (MFGDP(UK)); (v) assessment of VT; and, (vi) consistency and quality assurance. Conclusion: VT successfully develops the confidence and experience of newly qualified dentists in the Six Key Skills and has been well received by the majority of VDPs, trainers and advisors in the West Midlands. © 2004, Nature Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.