Effects of comprehensive educational reforms on academic success in a diverse student body.

Context: Calls for medical curriculum reform and increased student diversity in the USA have seen mixed success: performance outcomes following curriculum revisions have been inconsistent and national matriculation of under-represented minority (URM) students has not met aspirations. Published innovations in curricula, academic support and pipeline programmes usually describe isolated interventions that fail to affect curriculum-level outcomes.

Methods: United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 performance and graduation rates were analysed for three classes of medical students before (matriculated 1995-1997, n=517) and after (matriculated 2003-2005, n=597) implementing broad-based reforms in our education system.

Comparison of logistic regression and neural network analysis applied to predicting living setting after hip fracture.

Purpose: Describe and compare the characteristics of artificial neural networks and logistic regression to develop prediction models in epidemiological research.

Methods: The sample included 3708 persons with hip fracture from 46 different states included in the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation. Mean age was 75.

Satisfaction with medical rehabilitation in patients with orthopedic impairment.

Objective: To examine patient satisfaction after orthopedic impairment at 80 to 180 days after inpatient rehabilitation.

Design: Retrospective design examining records from facilities subscribing to the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation (UDSmr).

Setting: Information submitted to UDSmr from 1997 to 1998 by 177 hospital and rehabilitation facilities from 40 states.

Impact on the family: psychosocial adjustment of siblings of children who survive serious burns.

This study examined the psychosocial adjustment of 79 siblings of children suffering from burn injuries. Nonparametric statistics were used to compare psychosocial adjustment of the study group, as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist with an age-matched and gender-matched reference groups. Analyses found that the study group was better adjusted than the normative group on psychological dimensions; however, the study group fared worse than the normative group on overall competence, particularly social competence.