[Student evaluation of the curriculum coordination between two affiliated departments (environmental health versus preventive medicine and community health) in undergraduate medical education].

In order to assess the degree of curriculum coordination between the course for environmental health (3rd year, 100 hrs.) and that of preventive medicine and community health (4th year, 160 hrs.) in a medical school founded 1978, the responses for the related questions in the students evaluations (anonymous) were monitored annually from 1987-94. The former is a course that mainly deals with environmental health, occupational hygiene, nutrition and food poisoning, while the latter deals with health statistics, epidemiology, health promotion and health education, community health (including maternal and child health, school health, occupational health, gerontological health etc.) and health administration. Approximately 60% of the 786 medical students responded affirmatively as "fairly well coordinated" and less than 5% responded negatively as "not well coordinated". Analysis of the free answers columns shows that the characteristic contrasts between two courses/disciplines as each of the courses had been designed for are maintained and can be obtained from the courses. These results show the necessity of similar evaluative analyses for other courses to ensure appropriate division and coordination between affiliated courses in the undergraduate medical education program.