Generalists trained in family medicine

Since their creation in the early 1970s, the residency programs in family medicine have attracted an increasing number of medical graduates. In Quebec, over 1000 general practitioners have received their primary-care training in these programs. In order to assess the potential impact of these new training programs, we surveyed the medical practice characteristics of a representative sample of general practitioners, 294 trained in family medicine and 442 trained in the traditional programs. Results showed that trainees in family medicine were more likely to join group practice, to work in rural areas, to deliver hospital care, to work on a salary basis in local community health centres, and to be involved in teaching and research. There were, however, no differences between the two groups of general practitioners in their interventions with patients, particularly with regard to health promotion, patient education, and humanization of care. Implications of these results are discussed.