and spent an hour telephoning the headquarters of those companies that were still sending me bulk mailings. Although several were cooperative it was a frustrating hour: some of them told me that the bulk advertising was handled by mailing companies, which were difflcult to communicate with. I spoke to a few mailing companies and was told that they could not stop sending material without special permission from the drug company. However, this manoeuvre reduced the volume by another 30%. Finally, I wrote to the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association (Can Med Assoc J 1990; 143: 14). My request was answered politely, and within 2 months the bulk mailings stopped completely. From time to time I get twinges of nostalgia because there is no longer any opportunity to pluck the occasional sample offer or review article from the river of paper that used to flow from the mailbox to the garbage can; however, there is still a lot to read. I would recommend the third course of action to anyone who wants to save some time and reduce his or her volume of garbage.
systems. Topics discussed include the following. * Laser hazards: fire, electrichemical. and cal * Laser safety committee: duties and responsibilities. * Laser safety officer: duties and responsibilities. * Engineering controls: laser use area, smoke evacuators and optical controls. * Personal protective equipment. * Patient protection. * Medical monitoring. * Training, education and credentialling. * Acquisition, inspection, testing and maintenance of medically applied laser systems. Copies of the draft standard are available for review and comment as part of the CSA's consensus-driven standards writing process. Requests for copies should be made to Mrs. Jackie Halge, Health Care Technology Program, Canadian Standards Association, 178 Rexdale Blvd., Rexdale, ON M9W 1R3; (416) 747-2303, fax (416) 747-2473.
Robert Shepherd, MD 37 Beechmont Cresc. Gloucester, Ont.
Canadian Standards Association Rexdale, Ont.
Laser safety standard T he Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has recently released for public restandard Z386, Laser draft view Care Facilities. Health in Safety The standard applies to hospitals and areas or spaces outside of hospitals that are intended to be used to provide diagnosis or treatment involving the use of medically applied laser systems. It is meant to provide these facilities with information describing safety practices to be followed with such MAY 15, 1991
Ray Cislo, PEng, BSc Project manager Health Care Technology Program Standards Division
Changes at Queen's I write to correct some inaccuracies in the recent report "Major changes in medical training planned for Queen's, CMA council told," by Patrick Sullivan, about changes at Queen's University, Kingston, Ont. (Can Med Assoc J 1991; 144: 590-591). Drs. Brian Kain and Hugh Brown, residency program directors in family medicine and anesthesia respectively, and Dr. Ron Wigle, the postgraduate associate dean, are responsible for the de-
velopment of the family medicine-anesthesia and other combined residency programs. My contribution to changes in medical education at Queen's has been confined largely to undergraduate education. Sullivan's comments about "the medical school's basic aim" are quite inaccurate and really miss the mark. What I did say was that Queen's will continue to have strong residency programs in family medicine, the major specialties and selected subspecialties. We will not attempt to offer residency programs in many or all subspecialties but will capitalize on our special strengths (including our geographic setting) to prepare graduates for rural, northern and smaller urban areas as well as urban centres. The resulting "new product" will include, for example, graduates certified in both family medicine and anesthesia, as well as surgeons trained to work in small communities. Robert F. Maudsley, MD, FRCSC Vice-dean Faculty of Medicine Queen's University Kingston, Ont.
[CMAJ responds.: I apologize for ".missing the mark" in my report. Dr. Maudsley's presentation had emphasized the medical school's location in a largely rural part of Ontario and the fact that many Queen's graduates practise in small-town or rural Canada. My report centred on the university's new efforts, such as the family medicineanesthesia training program, because they seemed tailor-made for the rural and small-town areas he had been discussing. The report should not have said that the preparation of graduates to practise in rural and small-town Canada is the school's basic aim; rather, this is one of its aims. Patrick Sullivan News and features editor CAN MED ASSOC J
1991; 144 (10)
1211
systems. Topics discussed include the following. * Laser hazards: fire, electrichemical. and cal * Laser safety committee: duties and responsibilities. * Laser safety officer: duties and responsibilities. * Engineering controls: laser use area, smoke evacuators and optical controls. * Personal protective equipment. * Patient protection. * Medical monitoring. * Training, education and credentialling. * Acquisition, inspection, testing and maintenance of medically applied laser systems. Copies of the draft standard are available for review and comment as part of the CSA's consensus-driven standards writing process. Requests for copies should be made to Mrs. Jackie Halge, Health Care Technology Program, Canadian Standards Association, 178 Rexdale Blvd., Rexdale, ON M9W 1R3; (416) 747-2303, fax (416) 747-2473.
Robert Shepherd, MD 37 Beechmont Cresc. Gloucester, Ont.
Canadian Standards Association Rexdale, Ont.
Laser safety standard T he Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has recently released for public restandard Z386, Laser draft view Care Facilities. Health in Safety The standard applies to hospitals and areas or spaces outside of hospitals that are intended to be used to provide diagnosis or treatment involving the use of medically applied laser systems. It is meant to provide these facilities with information describing safety practices to be followed with such MAY 15, 1991
Ray Cislo, PEng, BSc Project manager Health Care Technology Program Standards Division
Changes at Queen's I write to correct some inaccuracies in the recent report "Major changes in medical training planned for Queen's, CMA council told," by Patrick Sullivan, about changes at Queen's University, Kingston, Ont. (Can Med Assoc J 1991; 144: 590-591). Drs. Brian Kain and Hugh Brown, residency program directors in family medicine and anesthesia respectively, and Dr. Ron Wigle, the postgraduate associate dean, are responsible for the de-
velopment of the family medicine-anesthesia and other combined residency programs. My contribution to changes in medical education at Queen's has been confined largely to undergraduate education. Sullivan's comments about "the medical school's basic aim" are quite inaccurate and really miss the mark. What I did say was that Queen's will continue to have strong residency programs in family medicine, the major specialties and selected subspecialties. We will not attempt to offer residency programs in many or all subspecialties but will capitalize on our special strengths (including our geographic setting) to prepare graduates for rural, northern and smaller urban areas as well as urban centres. The resulting "new product" will include, for example, graduates certified in both family medicine and anesthesia, as well as surgeons trained to work in small communities. Robert F. Maudsley, MD, FRCSC Vice-dean Faculty of Medicine Queen's University Kingston, Ont.
[CMAJ responds.: I apologize for ".missing the mark" in my report. Dr. Maudsley's presentation had emphasized the medical school's location in a largely rural part of Ontario and the fact that many Queen's graduates practise in small-town or rural Canada. My report centred on the university's new efforts, such as the family medicineanesthesia training program, because they seemed tailor-made for the rural and small-town areas he had been discussing. The report should not have said that the preparation of graduates to practise in rural and small-town Canada is the school's basic aim; rather, this is one of its aims. Patrick Sullivan News and features editor CAN MED ASSOC J
1991; 144 (10)
1211
