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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.

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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.

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.

The second edition of The First Five Years - A framework for Dental Undergraduate Education was published by the General Dental Council (GDC) in August 2002. As with the first edition the overall intention has been to define the scope and content of the undergraduate curriculum. However the second edition includes, for the first time, a list of specific learning outcomes and an appendix with the learning outcomes in a format described by Harden et al., which has been widely adopted in medical education.

Medical education has witnessed recently an accelerated and worldwide trend of change. The race is on for curricula that are relevant, appropriate and accountable. One of the consequences of this is the need for a drastic reassessment of how we devise curricula, and of what models, approaches, and strategies to adopt. Outcomes-based education is currently offered as an alternative to the content-based approach, which has been criticized by many educational experts in the past. Although this new approach has its detractors, it holds some promise of being able to improve on a current situation that is in deadlock with itself. There has been a great deal of interest in educational strategies in the last decade. This has been associated with the development of new concepts such as "problem-based learning", " student-centered learning", and "integrated teaching". Each school has to assess each of these strategies and adopt what ever will serve the aims of the curriculum. Similarly, the considerable progress that has taken place in the design and development of instructional materials and instructional technology should be appreciated. This includes, development in computer assisted learning, virtual reality, the use of simulated subjects, e learning, and the new concept of Reusable Learning Objects (RLO's). Finally, it was realized, with the rapid development in medical education that medical education requires professional training. The assumption that any good medical practitioner has the ability to teach no longer holds and professional training is required.

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Objective: To examine pre-service teachers' perceived confidence in teaching violence prevention and the potential effect of violence-prevention training on preservice teachers' confidence in teaching violence prevention. Methods: Six Ohio universities participated in the study. More than 800 undergraduate and graduate students completed surveys. Results: Violence-prevention training, area of certification, and location of student-teaching placement significantly influenced preservice teachers' perceived confidence in teaching violence prevention. Conclusion: Violence-prevention training positively influences preservice teachers' confidence in teaching violence prevention. The results suggest that such training should be considered as a requirement for teacher preparation programs.