Search

The terms atomic energy, radiation and radioactivity all refer to the particles and electromagnetic radiations which are liberated from the nucleus of the atom as a natural phenomenon or by artificial processes. In the explosion of an atomic bomb, vast numbers of such particles and rays are released from the atoms of plutonium or uranium. Several of these penetrate the body with ease and cause injury to the cells that lie in or near their path. The purpose of this report is to restate the changes that are known to occur in the body as the result of exposure to large amounts of such penetrating atomic energy and to emphasize the fact that the resultant signs and symptoms are sufficiently unique and recognizable to warrant the inclusion in the nosology of every physician of a specific disease entity, the acute radiation syndrome. A knowledge of the new nuclear physics is

The workshop conference on Changing Characteristics of Our Economy and Their Implications in Medical Education first studied the economic trends considered most significant. The standard of living doubles every 25 to 30 years. There has been a leveling process in regard to the financial status of the individual, and the "underprivileged" class is disappearing. As more people have more money, they demand more medical services, more physicians, more paramedical workers, and more hospitals. Increased demand by the consumer is a most significant implication of the changing characteristic of the economy. The steady shift from farm to industry is associated with a sharp increase in income and doubling of per capita income. The state of chronic inflation which we have lived in, and seem destined to continue to live in, raises problems for educational institutions, including teaching hospitals. Educational institutions cannot pass on the increased costs to the consumer as rapidly

• The four-phase program of postgraduate medical education here described consisted of formal specialized courses at a medical school, informal seminars brought by a team of physicians to rural communities, early-morning open-circuit television programs, and audiovisual seminar kits. The intramural phase was easily evaluated in terms of attendance and direct expressions from the participants. It was one of the two most popular methods, and the most enthusiastic reception was given to courses on heart disease, on medicine in general practice, and on legal implications of medical practice. The three extramural phases were evaluated similarly, the telecast being followed by telephone interviews and mail questionnaires to measure the amount of information actually gained by the medical audience. The results showed that physicians can gain new medical information by these means and that they participate with enthusiasm in programs for continuing medical education.