What do family practice graduates do? A comparative study

Two groups of medical graduates from Université Laval were compared for their subsequent place and type of practice, age of patients, type and level of remuneration, and average costs generated per patient and per visit. The study group had completed a two year residency program in family medicine; the controls had completed a one-year internship. The family medicine graduates were more likely to have a varied practice in a community of less than 50,000 population, to make house calls and do nursing home or chronic hospital care, to earn in the middle range of income and to generate comparable costs per patient, but lower costs per visit. The internship graduates were more likely to limit their practices to one activity, and to be in the higher range of income. These findings could not be tested for statistical significance, but have implications for training programs and paying agencies.