Teaching family medicine

Students should study the family system just as they would an organ system, making use of family studies and home visits. A comparison of private and academic faculty revealed the need to instruct private practitioners on patient selection and teaching methodology. Experience has shown that patients from the lower socioeconomic classes tend to allow the student to participate more in their family life and health care and that, in return, the student is often able to assist these patients in some way. Faculty must guide, monitor, and assist students with problems. Audit of students' and patients' reports on and evaluations of the family study will provide valuable information for planning future programs or revamping continuing ones.