Faculty needs, doctoral preparation, and the future of teacher preparation programs in the education of deaf and hard of hearing students

The purposes of the study were to obtain and analyze data on the need for, and desired characteristics of, faculty in deaf education at American institutions of higher education (IHEs), and to assess the present and projected status of doctoral-level teacher preparation programs in deaf education at American IHEs. Program directors and coordinators provided information on current and projected faculty openings, the number of active doctoral students, faculty research interests, program strengths, and needs in the field. Results indicated a pending shortage due to faculty retirements and a paucity of doctoral-level graduates. Most faculty listed literacy and language as a primary research interest as well as a program strength. The ability to generate new knowledge through research was found to be less desirable for future faculty than teaching ability. Suggestions for improving doctoral preparation and moving the field to evidence-based practices are provided.

Financing physical therapy doctoral education: methods used by entry-level students and the financial impact after graduation

With the move to the doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree and increasing tuition costs, there is concern about financing entry-level education. The purposes of this study were to identify how students finance their DPT education and to describe the financial impact after graduation.

METHODS

A written survey was used to collect data on financing DPT education, student debt, and the financial impact on graduates. There were 92 subjects who had graduated from one program. Frequencies as well as nonparametric statistics using cross-tabulations and chi-squared statistics were calculated.

RESULTS

The response rate was 55%. Of the respondents, 86% had student loans, 66% worked during school, 57% received some family assistance, and 21% had some scholarship support. The amount of monthly loan repayment was not statistically related to the ability to save for a house, the ability to obtain a loan for a house or car, or the decision to have children. Saving for the future (p = 0.016) and lifestyle choices (p = 0.035) were related to the amount of monthly loan repayment.

DISCUSSION

Major sources of funding were student loans, employment income, and/or family assistance. Respondent's ability to save for the future and lifestyle choices were negatively impacted when loan debt increased. Physical therapist education programs should consider offering debt planning and counseling.

[On the training of specialists for forensic biological departments of forensic medical bureaus]

The author analyses the main activities of the departments of forensic medicine in the Russian Medical Academy of Post-Diploma Education and the Sankt-Peterburg Medical Academy of Post-Diploma Education in the sphere of training and education of biologist experts. Information about the participants of these educational and training programs is presented. Taken together, these data give an idea of the character of post-diploma training of biologist experts and its dynamics during the period from 1950 and 2010. Results of the analysis may be of value for the long-term planning of advanced professional training and upgrading of qualification of the experts for forensic biological departments.

Designing a master of public health degree within a department of pharmacy practice

The demand for public health services is being outpaced by a shrinking public health workforce. This creates a unique opportunity for pharmacists to become more engaged in public health activities, particularly in rural underserved areas. To meet the need for additional public health professionals, we designed a master of public health (MPH) program in a rural state under the leadership of a department of pharmacy practice. In addition to a core set of courses, the MPH program has public health specialty tracks (disease state management, emergency management, health promotion practice, infectious disease management, food safety, gerontology, and medical management and administration) that could be completed as a certificate program or used towards an MPH degree. The program allows students to complete the graduate degree with a minimum of prerequisite coursework. The MPH degree provides an opportunity for pharmacists and other health care professionals to gain an understanding of the interprofessional approach to solving public health problems and will enhance their role in public health and within their health care team.

Purposes, diversities, and futures in MFT doctoral education

Doctoral education in marital and family therapy (MFT) plays a crucial role in the future of the field. In this article, I write about the purposes, diversities, and futures of MFT doctoral education from the perspective of having hired 18 full-time MFT faculty over the last 13 years. I argue that the field needs well-rounded doctoral-level academics and clinicians who have a solid understanding of the foundations of the field and have mastery around theory, clinical practice, and scholarship in order to advance the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Doctoral education in Europe: trends and perspectives

The paper introduces latest trends in doctoral education in Europe, based on results of numerous conferences, seminars, workshops, debates and interviews with European universities' representatives. It focuses on the impact of the Bologna Process and the EU research strategies on the reform of doctoral education in Europe. It challenges some trends such as the focus on coursework and credits, and emphasizes the core component of doctoral education--original research that should remain the crucial feature of training of young researchers. The paper examines key changes in European doctoral education related to organization and structure, supervision, skills training, and internationalization.

University strategy for doctoral training: the Ghent University Doctoral Schools

The Doctoral Schools at Ghent University have a three-fold mission: (1) to provide support to doctoral students during their doctoral research, (2) to foster a quality culture in (doctoral) research, (3) to promote the international and social stature and prestige of the doctorate vis-a-vis potential researchers and the potential labour market. The Doctoral Schools offer top-level specialized courses and transferable skills training to doctoral students as part of their doctoral training programme. They establish mechanisms of quality assurance in doctoral research. The Doctoral Schools initialize and support initiatives of internationalization. They also organize information sessions, promotional events and interaction with the labour market, and as such keep a finger on the pulse of external stakeholders.

[Proposal for graduate school education in the future: from the viewpoint of the Department of clinical Laboratory in a university hospital]

Fujita Health University Hospital, located in Toyoake, is a large teaching hospital with 1,505 beds. The Department of Clinical Laboratory in our hospital, in which 136 medical technologists work, is one of the largest clinical laboratories in Japan. Medical technologists in our hospital are required not only to perform accurate laboratory examinations, but also to contribute to the medical care team. In addition, they must educate students and trainee medical technologists. Furthermore, they conduct research to develop and evaluate new laboratory methods. Thus, we hope that education in graduate schools of medical technology (Master's course), along with promoting the specialty of laboratory techniques, will develop students' clinical skills to examine patients and research skills to conduct studies.

How to prepare engineers in medicine and biology?

Biomedical Engineering education has become very popular in the past two decades. New biomedical engineering programs have been developed to prepare students for this emerging field of study. Due to its highly multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature, combined with the fact that many engineering students have limited life sciences backgrounds, preparing graduates for an engineering career incorporating medicine and biology is not straight forward. The University of British Columbia established a graduate level biomedical engineering program in the fall of 2006 after an industry survey and extensive consultation process. The program curriculum also employs a device-based approach to the education of life science components including anatomy and physiology. Feedback from current students, industry sponsors, and practicing biomedical engineers favour this UBC approach. The program will continually update its curriculum and delivery style in response to the industry needs and student evaluation.

Nanocourses: a short course format as an educational tool in a biological sciences graduate curriculum

Traditional courses for graduate students in the biological sciences typically span a semester, are organized around the fundamental concepts of a single discipline, and are aimed at the needs of incoming students. Such courses demand significant time commitment from both faculty and course participants; thus, they are avoided by a subset of the academic science community. Course length and the high barrier to course development are inhibitory to the creation of new courses, especially in emerging areas of biology that may not merit a full-semester approach. Here, we describe the implementation of a new, graduate-level course format, created to allow for rapid development of courses, provide meaningful educational experiences for both junior and senior graduate students and other members of our community, and increase the breadth of faculty involvement in teaching. These courses are greatly abbreviated, and thus termed "nanocourses." Based on experience from the first three semesters, nanocourses seem to accomplish the initial goals that we set. Importantly, nanocourses engaged students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and others, thus providing a new mechanism to educate our community in response to rapid advances in biology. In our view, nanocourses are a useful tool that can supplement graduate-level curricula in varied ways.

[Studies in gerontology at Vechta University]

The University of Vechta has developed and introduced innovative Bachelor and Master studies in gerontology in accordance with the Bologna process. The Bachelor studies provide first degree courses and place great emphasis on the practical and problem-oriented application of knowledge. Therefore, studies in social sciences, economics and law are interlinked. The Master studies are explicitly research oriented and consecutive and are based on the combination of individual, organisational and societal aspects of ageing in the sense of a multilevel analysis. The research orientation is strengthened through the co-operation with the research centre "Ageing and Society" (CAG) at Vechta University.

Doctoral training in clinical psychology

Competing models of doctoral training in clinical psychology are described and compared within their historical contexts. Trends in the field are examined critically with a focus on the impact of managed care on doctoral training and clinical practice. Implications for the future of doctoral training are considered, and a blueprint for the future of doctoral training in clinical psychology is presented.