This application requests support for the activation, development and centralization of a long range program for teaching the prevention of cardiovascular diseases to medical/dental students and residents. This program will secondarily improve the knowledge and skills of the clinical and basic science faculties, nurses, dental faculty and supportive staff in this discipline. The following is proposed: A program for students and staff self evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors (profile); Employing the computerized data base of a 25-30 year old longitudinal epidemiologic study of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in black medical students (The Meharry Cohort Study) to calculate risks and epidemiology of disease. Comparison of risk in present medical students with those in the above study; Establish a central preventive cardiology office for coordinating and monitoring purposes; organize an advisory committee composed of senior representatives from the disciplines that will provide oversight and support; Implement changes and institute innovations in the basic science curriculum to provide instruction in preventive cardiology. Such changes will also be made in clinical clerkship programs and outpatient clinics in the departments of Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery and Dentistry in a unified instructional program; Establish a preventive cardiology learning resource center equipped with audio visual aids, computer aided instruction in cardiovascular physiology and anatomy, pathologic processes and capable of providing self evaluation of cardiovascular risk; Provide summer electives for students having a tendency toward a career in preventive cardiology; Develop a regularly published newsletter for campus-wide distribution, with topics or aspects of preventive cardiology and, the further development of long range support by the institution and local organization.
