TEACHING CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION. S. Mutha 1 , C. Allen 1 , M. Evaluations of the trainings have revealed high levels of agreement that the content was highly relevant to clinical practice and high satisfaction with the training sessions. A six-month followup evaluation is underway to assess the ways in which attendees have incorporated the contents of the training into their practices. KEY LESSONS LEARNED: The curriculum content and design allow successful interaction among multidisciplinary health professionals. Participant evaluations underscore that simulations and experiential exercises are an especially powerful way to increase sensitivity to and awareness of diversity in the clinical setting. The sensitive nature of issues surrounding diversity such as prejudice as well as discrepancies in power and authority emphasizes the need to develop a cadre of clinician/educators who are committed to providing this type of training in clinical settings. medical students between the M1 and M2 years, with each student linked directly to a senior administrator of a major academic medical center or private managed care organization. Each fellow is assigned a project, which is summarized into a presentation to all program faculty. Weekly journal club (focusing on health policy, administration, and financing) is also required. FINDINGS TO DATE: Evaluations by students of experience in the program have yielded uniformly positive results when asked to rate the quality of the program, as well as its importance to their careers as physicians. 6 of the 16 students participating in the program have applied for admission to UCLA's combined MD/MBA program upon completion of the fellowship. Students have gained increased understanding of the administrative aspects of health care organizations. KEY LESSONS LEARNED: 1) Dedicated and experienced mentors are critical. 2) Students must tailor work projects to normal operations of organization; 3) Feedback and discussion with students during program is a critical success factor; 4) Most medical students could benefit from some type of exposure to the administrative STATEMENT OF PROBLEM OR QUESTION: Current fiscal reality has resulted in increased demands for clinical/ economic productivity on the part of all physicians. This is perhaps most acutely felt in academic practice groups that devote part of their activity to nondirectly reimbursed teaching activity. With pressures to see more patients while teaching students and residents, time and excellence in teaching and research may suffer.