Academic achievement and primary care specialty selection of volunteers at a student-run free clinic.

Background: Previous studies have reached conflicting conclusions about the associations between service and academic achievement and service and primary care specialty choice.

Purposes: This study examines the associations between service at a student-run clinic and academic achievement and primary care specialty choice.

Methods: Retrospective review of medical student service and statistical analysis of grade point average (GPA), Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores, and specialty choice were conducted, as approved by our Institutional Review Board.

Faculty development to improve teaching at a health sciences center: a needs assessment.

There has been increasing interest at health science centers in improving the education of health professionals by offering faculty development activities. In 2007-08, as part of an effort to expand education-related faculty development offerings on campus, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center surveyed faculty members in an effort to identify faculty development activities that would be of interest. Factor analysis of survey data indicated that faculty interests in the areas of teaching and learning can be grouped into six dimensions: development of educational goals and objectives, the use of innovative teaching techniques, clinical teaching, improving traditional teaching skills, addressing teaching challenges, and facilitating participation.