Medical student literature has broadly established the importance of differentiating between formal-explicit and hidden-tacit dimensions of the physician education process. The hidden curriculum refers to cultural mores that are transmitted, but not openly acknowledged, through formal and informal educational endeavors. The authors extend the concept of the hidden curriculum from students to faculty, and in so doing, they frame the acquisition by faculty of knowledge, skills, and values as a more global process of identity formation. This process includes a subset of formal, formative activities labeled "faculty development programs" that target specific faculty skills such as teaching effectiveness or leadership; however, it also includes informal, tacit messages that faculty absorb. As faculty members are socialized into faculty life, they often encounter conflicting messages about their role. In this article, the authors examine how faculty development programs have functioned as a source of conflict, and they ask how these programs might be retooled to assist faculty in understanding the tacit institutional culture shaping effective socialization and in managing the inconsistencies that so often dominate faculty life.

Objective. To define the role and education of the traditional pharmacist who supports the needs of the veterinarian (hereafter referred to as veterinary pharmacist) and a pharmacist who practices solely in veterinary pharmacy (here after referred to as veterinary pharmacy specialist). Methods. The Delphi technique involving 7 panels of 143 experts was employed to reach consensus on the definition of the roles and education of the veterinary pharmacist and veterinary pharmacy specialist.Results. The veterinary pharmacy specialist's role included dispensing medications, complying with regulations, advocating for quality therapeutic practices, and providing consultative services, research, and education. The perceived role of the veterinary pharmacist was viewed as being somewhat narrower. Compared to veterinary pharmacists, a more in-depth education in veterinary medicine was viewed as essential to the role development of veterinary pharmacy specialists. Conclusions. The authors hope their research will promote widespread awareness of the emerging field of veterinary pharmacy and encourage schools to offer increased access to clinically relevant professional training programs.

The prevalence of HIV-positive pregnant women in relationships with HIV-negative men in the United States is unclear. The purpose of this study was to calculate the prevalence of HIV-positive pregnant women with a serodiscordant (HIV-negative) partner within a single clinic population, assess disclosure of their HIV status, and examine factors associated with disclosure. All HIV-positive pregnant women who received prenatal care at the Harris County Hospital District Women's Program at Northwest Health Center in Houston TX between 1/1/2006 and 4/1/2011 were identified. Data were obtained from electronic medical records. Prevalence of serodiscordance and disclosure was calculated, and predictors of disclosure were evaluated. We identified 212 HIV-positive pregnant women. About 40% had a serodiscordant partner, and 34% had a partner with an unknown HIV status. Disclosure occurred in over 90% of women with a serodiscordant partner and in 68% of women with partners whose HIV status was unknown. Among pregnant women who knew their HIV status prior to the current pregnancy and had a serodiscordant partner, 92% reported disclosing their status prior to conception. Our data indicated that serodiscordant relationships are common in our clinic population. Suboptimal disclosure rates were observed, especially among women who have a partner with an unknown HIV status. Further research is needed to evaluate the prevalence of serodiscordance and disclosure in other United States populations.

In the last quarter of 1987-88, 95 second- and third-year geriatrics fellows were surveyed to examine their perceptions of the quality of research training available through their programs. A three-phase Delphi survey method was used, with the numbers of individuals responding per phase ranging from 58 (61%) to 68 (72%). The responses were clustered in five areas by means of factor analysis using a varimax rotation procedure. The fellows perceived their research training to be inadequate, primarily due to insufficient time for research activities and to inadequate exposure to research-qualified scientists. The authors conclude that although the fellows strongly supported the notion of a research-focused third fellowship year, implementing such a plan may be futile if new resources are not made available.

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A health behavioral counseling curriculum grounded in Motivational Interviewing and the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change was developed to enhance knowledge and clinical skill among physician assistant (PA) students in managing cancer risk behaviors. A literature and curriculum review informed course content, teaching strategies, and learning activities. The course was evaluated over two pilot years. Students demonstrated increased knowledge and skills regarding the basic principles of the intervention models. The course was integrated into the pre-clinical year of PA training and will be disseminated, beginning with a faculty development workshop for all PA training programs in Texas, USA.

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