medical students

While in theory, doctors say that they would reveal medical errors to patients, a new study has found that most don't actually do so when they have the chance. The study, done by the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine, surveyed faculty physicians, residents and medical students at academic medical centers to find out what factors affected whether physicians disclosed errors. Of the 538 respondents, 97 percent said that they'd disclose minor errors and 93 percent said they'd …

> HealthSouth's CEO explains why the company's future is so bright, he has to wear shades. Article

> CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield has teamed up with a Baltimore health system to boost health care for minorities. Article

> A Pennsylvania hospital's CEO …

With the healthcare industry's increasing focus on preventing medical errors, one would think that interns and medical students who speak up about treatment concerns would be rewarded. But in reality, doctors-in-training are often afraid to confront supervising physicians, who often discount what they have to say, says Barron Lerner, M.D., of Columbia University Medical Center. Article

Here's a straightforward approach to attracting and keeping primary care doctors in your community. Bank of America has agreed to donate $5 million to boost the supply of Massachusetts-based primary care doctors, largely by paying off loans for medical students, residents and a handful of doctors already practicing in health centers. The idea is that if they serve in one of 23 community health centers or Boston Health Care for the Homeless, they'll be eligible to have $25,000 of their …

In the past, aspiring surgeons have had to watch, learn and eventually, test their skills on a living patient. Lately, however, many medical schools have made the training process safer and easier, creating special laboratories which help medical students and specialists-in-training hone their surgical skills without touching a patient. The idea is to make sure rookie surgeons don't hurt patients by making errors, says Dr. Gary Dunnington, chairman of the surgery department at Southern …

> Austin's Seton Healthcare Network lost information on 7,800 of its patients when someone stole one of its laptops. Article

> Two Washington state hospitalist medical practices have agreed to merge and operate jointly under the name "Sound Inpatient Physicians." Release

> IT outsourcer Electronic Data Systems plans to …

Let's face it--most patients would rather be just about anywhere else than their doctor's office, undergoing an awkward examination. But there's one group of people who do it every day, serving as so-called "practice patients" for medical students. These practice patients agree to face pelvic and breast exams, pretend to have dizzy spells, cancer and drug addiction and more so that the students can move "from a place of fear and anxiety to a place of ease and success," says one such …

> In what would be a major coup for drug giant Merck, the American Cancer Society has recommended that all girls aged 11 to 12 receive the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil. Report

> At The Wall Street Journal, contributor Dr. Benjamin Brewer discusses the value of having medical students on his staff. …

Should medical students get some training in complimentary and alternative medicine?  In theory, sure, but only if they stay grounded in traditional medical science, says one blogger, a PhD in pharmacology who chooses to remain anonymous. Unfortunately, some faculty members training students in CAM are "pseudoexperts" with little or no traditional academic training, he contends. While he has no objection to being prescribed a cup of thyme tea as a bonus, he still wants albuterol to …

Though the U.S. population is aging rapidly--and living longer--few young doctors are going into geriatrics. This is creating a crisis in care for the elderly, with only one geriatrician available per 5000 patients, according to The New York Times. While medical students enjoy geriatrics rotations, they're overwhelmingly choosing to specialize in more glamorous, higher-tech fields such as cardiology and oncology, the Times reports. They're also opting for …