Are there any other situations not captured in this survey that raise serious concerns about conflicts of interest? Please describe these in the space provided.
#	Response Date	Comment
1.	Tue, 3/13/07 11:17 PM	For me the bottom line in any of these situations is the people involved. Even when a strong conflict of interest is clearly present, an ethical person will act ethically regardless.
2.	Wed, 3/14/07 12:06 AM	I find this survey very interesting in light of reading Dr Brody's new book. I think CHM should give a copy to all med students and make them read it.
3.	Wed, 3/14/07 12:30 AM	a small group of private individuals investing a significant amount of money in a medical school... how could one say that that small group of individuals won't have a very large impact on the path that the medical school takes?
4.	Wed, 3/14/07 12:48 AM	How about students getting into med school or getting scholarships based on knowing or having a family member at the School of MED? or on race???
5.	Wed, 3/14/07 1:06 AM	At some other schools, medical supply companies provide students with medical equipment at no charge so long as they are formally acknowledged of the gift.
7.	Wed, 3/14/07 3:10 AM	The cost of education, research, training and expansion almost mandates conflicts of interests, especially since medicine is the US's largest industry. It is our professional duty as present and future physicians to be both introspective and proactive to maintain at the height of our priorities the patients whom we serve, and to set into place fail safe nets (boards, committees, and peer evaluations) to catch us should we fail.
8.	Wed, 3/14/07 3:50 AM	Faculty grading based on the student's future specialty of interest, I have seen this alot. (eg. Faculty from pediatrics grading students with interest in peds higher for same quality/participation/paper/etc.)
9.	Wed, 3/14/07 1:24 PM	I think any interaction/business partnership between medical schools and pharmaceutical companies is a huge conflict of interest and trains medical students to take handouts from these companies when they are physicians. I would be very upset if as a medical student I was required to attend a pharmaceutical lecture.
10.	Wed, 3/14/07 2:43 PM	none
12.	Sun, 3/18/07 3:23 PM	The greatest flaw right now in community-based medical education is pharmaceutical/medical device companies driving research. 100% of the research done in Grand Rapids is driven by these entities, and to be honest, it drastically alters how medicine is practiced in comparison to the remainder of the country. Its very obvious to see as a student, especially after having visited other medical institutions on away-electives.
13.	Mon, 3/19/07 4:47 AM	The number of students at MSU-CHM who are allowed to continue through their pre-clinical and clinical years without obtaining the adequate excellence (as reflected by failed clerkships, recurrent extensions, and repeated unprofessional marks) is shocking. Students are allowed to apply for residencies while still taking basic, 3rd-year clerkships (eg. Ob/Gyn), and graduate on time, suggesting that these students were allowed to complete elective prior to completing required clerkships. Meanwhile, other students who have repeatedly failed are continually pushed through the system. In the end, this serves only to undermine MSU-CHM's already tepid reputation nationally, as sub-par students and residents go forth and represent the type of education obtained at this school. It does nothing for CHM to have such students pushed through by some sort of administrative focus on graduating classes with a politically correct demographic, instead of a consistent, demonstrated level of competence.
14.	Sun, 4/29/07 9:32 PM	It would be interesting to see if responses were different to physicians getting training in multiple procedures in order to increase their rate of reimbursement vs the x-ray question. Ideally, there should be no connection between a physician's decision regarding best treatment for their patient and the physician's reimbursement.