The Critical Friends Group: An Innovative Way to Build Intercultural Competence Among Student and Faculty Groups

Introduction Few physicians involved in medical education are likely to have had formal training in teaching. One pedagogical method that can enhance relationships, thus improve teaching and learning is the Critical Friends Group (CFG). The CFG is a collegial support team that offers improved understanding of others. Unconditional high regard for team members frames the interactions in the CFG. These teams could be used to reduce bias and enhance intercultural competence among student CFGs and faculty CFGs. [See PDF for complete abstract]

Friends of the library groups in health sciences libraries.

The Houston Academy of Medicine--Texas Medical Center (HAM--TMC) Library collected data on friends of the library groups from 103 health sciences libraries, using a mail questionnaire. Sixteen of the responding libraries had independent friends groups; seven had friends groups that were subordinate to a university group. The sixteen independent groups gave as their major purposes (1) to raise money for their associated library and (2) to develop support for their library. These groups contributed an average of $4,870 a year to their libraries, the money being used primarily to purchase rare books and working-collection books and to sponsor social events. The subordinate groups contributed relatively little money to the health sciences libraries responding to the survey.