Appropriate training for northern physicians.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rural Health
• Family Medicine

Background:

• Physician shortages persist in isolated northern regions.
• Traditional urban-based family medicine programs inadequately prepare doctors for northern practice.
• The Northern Family Medicine Education (NorFam) Program was established to address this training gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the NorFam Program's structure and curriculum.
• To assess the current practice locations of NorFam graduates.
• To evaluate the program's relevance for northern practice based on graduate feedback.

Main Methods:

• The NorFam Program trained 14 residents between 1993 and 1995.
• Educational activities were specifically designed for relevance to northern practice.
• A survey was conducted to gather graduate feedback on training relevance and current practice.

Main Results:

• Nine of the surveyed graduates continued to practice in northern/remote or rural areas.
• Three graduates pursued further medical training.
• All respondents indicated that NorFam provided more relevant training than urban-based programs.

Conclusions:

• The NorFam Program effectively prepares physicians for rural and northern practice.
• The program demonstrates success in retaining graduates in underserved remote areas.
• NorFam offers a superior training model for family medicine in isolated settings.