Continuing Medical Education: Planning and Goals Conference in Continuing Medical Education—Workshop Recommendations

Following are recommendations drawn up by workshops held as a part of the Planning and Goals Conference in Continuing Medical Education, sponsored by the California Medical Association and directed by its Committee on Continuing Medical Education, San Diego, 11 to 12 March 1967. The general subject was divided among four workshops and the reports of two of them—No. 1, (a) and (b), and No. 2—were printed in the August issue of California Medicine. The Reports herewith are those of the other two workshops.The conference was supported in part by Contract No. PH 108-67-158, Bureau of Health Manpower, Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education and Welfare.     

Continuing Medical Education—A Survey Among Physicians Practicing in San Diego and Imperial Counties

Patterns of continuing education of 244 physicians practicing in San Diego and Imperial Counties were studied by means of an interview questionnaire. An additional 20 internists and general practitioners were observed for one week in order to check the validity of the questionnaire findings.All physicians reported that they engaged in one or more means of continuing education and about three quarters had attended at least one formal course during the preceding three years. Almost all (99 percent) had attended some hospital-based teaching conference, tumor board or professional society meeting during the year preceding interview and 88 percent had attended at least once each month. Physicians in group practice participated more regularly in continuing education than those in solo practice, but no differences in participation were observed between those practicing in the metropolitan area of San Diego and those practicing in the other areas of the two counties. Different patterns of continuing education by specialty are also reported and the attitudes of physicians toward continuing education are described.     

Bacteremic Shock—A Medical Emergency

Bacteremic shock is second in frequency only to myocardial infarction as a cause of hypotension and death in hospitalized medical patients. The clinical course is marked by fever, usually with chills, and hypotension with a full pulse and warm extremities, followed by shock, often resistant to treatment. Anticipation of this complication in patients with certain predisposing diseases or factors facilitates early recognition of the symptoms and signs of bacteremic shock and prompt treatment. Early and effective treatment of the offending infection often prevents progression of hypotension to the stage of frank vascular collapse.     

Contingent Fees in Medical Malpractice Litigation—A Qualitative Assessment

The medical profession has experienced high liability insurance premiums accompanied by widespread use of contingent fees in medical malpractice litigation. It is worthwhile, therefore, to assess qualitatively the merits of contingent fees, the evidence suggesting that they are associated with unjustified litigation and their implications for the medical and legal professions.     

Medical Students’ Attitudes toward Abortion Education: Malaysian Perspective

Background

Abortion is a serious public health issue, and it poses high risks to the health and life of women. Yet safe abortion services are not readily available because few doctors are trained to provide such services. Many doctors are unaware of laws pertaining to abortion. This article reports survey findings on Malaysian medical students’ attitudes toward abortion education and presents a case for including abortion education in medical schools.

Methods and Results

A survey on knowledge of and attitudes toward abortion among medical students was conducted in two public universities and a private university in Malaysia in 2011. A total of 1,060 students returned the completed questionnaires. The survey covered about 90% of medical students in Years 1, 3, and 5 in the three universities. About 90% of the students wanted more training on the general knowledge and legal aspects of abortion, and pre-and post-abortion counseling. Overall, 75.9% and 81.0% of the students were in favor of including in medical education the training on surgical abortion techniques and medical abortion, respectively. Only 2.4% and 1.7% were opposed to the inclusion of training of these two methods in the curriculum. The remaining respondents were neutral in their stand. Desire for more abortion education was associated with students’ pro-choice index, their intention to provide abortion services in future practice, and year of study. However, students’ attitudes toward abortion were not significantly associated with gender, type of university, or ethnicity.

Conclusions

Most students wanted more training on abortion. Some students also expressed their intention to provide abortion counseling and services in their future practice. Their desire for more training on abortion should be taken into account in the new curriculum. Abortion education is an important step towards making available safe abortion services to enable women to exercise their reproductive rights.