title: [An evaluation of teaching objectives for seminars and clerkship of social medicine in medical schools in Japan].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the curriculum of seminars and clerkship for social medicine in medical schools in Japan, with special reference to teaching objectives.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was conducted in December, 2002 by sending questionnaires to all the member departments of the Conference for Hygiene and Public Health Teaching in Medical Schools in Japan. Teaching objectives for seminars and clerkship of social medicine stated in their curricula were analyzed by frequencies of key words related to learner's "Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior". Also, five professors of public health independently rated the stated teaching objectives using nine evaluation criteria divided into three levels and mean ratings were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although 80% of the schools described their General Instructional Objectives (GIOs), only 63% of the universities stated Specific Behavioral Objectives (SBOs). Evaluation of the contents of the descriptions revealed that, although many courses described the GIOs with the student as subjective, only a small number of courses mentioned "Attitude and Behavior" in SBO. Also, many courses did not make any apparent distinction between GIOs and SBOs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practical training is a crucial component in medical education and seminars and clerkship play an important role in teaching social medicine to medical students. However, the present study revealed that many medical schools in Japan do not have adequately defined teaching objectives. Improvement of the curricula in courses of social medicine is required with particular reference to specific behavioral objectives and goals for seminars and clerkship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Teikyo University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamanouchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Yukinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kusaka
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakahori
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Motohashi
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasumura
mesh_terms: D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D007564:Japan; D012936:Social Medicine / Q000193:education*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*