Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation's Combined Family Practice and Internal Medicine Residency Program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Primary Care Physician Training
• Internal Medicine & Family Practice

Background:

• Managed care in the 1990s highlighted the need for versatile primary care physicians.
• Existing training pathways required extensive time, prompting exploration of combined programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of an integrated Internal Medicine and Family Practice residency program.
• To assess resident performance and satisfaction in a novel combined training model.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of the Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation Combined Family Practice and Internal Medicine Residency Program.
• Integrated curriculum allowing completion in 48 months, compared to 72 months consecutively.
• Rotations across Family Practice and Internal Medicine services, continuity clinics, and diverse patient care settings (urban, rural, obstetric, pediatric).

Main Results:

• Consistently high in-service examination scores, with residents achieving top national rankings.
• Successful recruitment of high-achieving students despite a decline in US graduates entering primary care.
• Positive resident perceptions of the combined program based on initial surveys.

Conclusions:

• The combined residency program effectively trains broadly skilled primary care physicians.
• Graduates are well-prepared for academic positions in Internal Medicine or Family Practice.
• Ongoing evaluation is planned to assess long-term outcomes and compare with traditional programs.