One-on-one long-term tutorials in general practitioners' practices - a successful new teaching concept in primary care medicine.

To improve teaching in practical and communicative skills and knowledge in day-to-day medical practice, in 1997 we introduced one-on-one tutorials in general practitioners' offices as a mandatory part of medical students' academic education. Students participate actively half a day per week in their 3rd and 4th academic years (out of 6) in the office or clinic of a trained personal tutor. We recruited 270 general practitioners in town or from surrounding rural areas for this purpose.

Measurement of lung volume in mechanically ventilated monkeys with an ultrasonic flow meter and the nitrogen washout method.

Objective: Measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC) during mechanical ventilation is important to standardise respiratory system compliance and adjust the ventilator settings to optimise lung recruitment. In the present study we compared three methods to measure FRC.

Design: The bias flow nitrogen washout technique (FRC(N2MC)), the multiple breath nitrogen washout (FRC(MBNW)) and the multiple breath sulphur-hexafluoride washout using the molar mass signal of an ultrasonic flow meter (FRC(MBSF6)) were compared in six adult monkeys after endotracheal intubation and during spontaneous breathing and mechanical ventilation at three different positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels of 0, 5 and 10 cmH2O.

One-on-one tutorials in private practices and clinics: four years of experience in Basel, Switzerland.

The one-on-one tutorial is a new form of learning that is practice oriented. It is based on a teacher-student relationship continuing over two years. Since 1997, third- and fourth-year students have worked for one half day per week under the supervision of their tutor, be it in a private practice or in a hospital.