Generalists trained in family medicine

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Primary Care Research
• General Practice

Background:

• Family medicine residency programs were established in the early 1970s.
• Over 1000 general practitioners in Quebec have completed primary care training in these programs.
• Assessing the impact of these newer training programs on medical practice is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the practice characteristics of general practitioners trained in family medicine residency programs versus traditional programs.
• To identify differences in practice settings, employment models, and academic involvement.
• To evaluate if training type affects patient intervention strategies.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted on a representative sample of general practitioners in Quebec.
• The sample included 294 physicians trained in family medicine and 442 trained in traditional programs.
• Practice characteristics, including setting, employment, and patient interventions, were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Family medicine graduates were more likely to engage in group practice, rural practice, and hospital care.
• These graduates also showed a higher tendency to work on salary in community health centers and participate in teaching and research.
• No significant differences were observed in patient interventions, health promotion, education, or care humanization between the two groups.

Conclusions:

• Family medicine residency programs shape practice choices, encouraging diverse and community-oriented settings.
• The training does not appear to negatively impact the quality or nature of direct patient care.
• These findings have implications for medical education policy and workforce distribution in primary care.