Primary Care Tracks in Medical Schools

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Primary Care Physician Recruitment

Background:

• Addressing the projected shortage of primary care physicians requires effective recruitment strategies.
• Longitudinal programs and primary care tracks in medical schools are proven methods for student recruitment into primary care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the characteristics of primary care tracks within family medicine departments.
• To understand the structure and perceived impact of these tracks on medical students.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2016 CERA Family Medicine Clerkship Director Survey.
• Survey questions focused on the presence, description, and perceived impact of primary care tracks.
• Distributed the survey to 125 US and 16 Canadian family medicine clerkship directors.

Main Results:

• A response rate of 86% was achieved.
• 29% of respondents reported offering a longitudinal primary care track.
• Tracks are typically competitive, led by family medicine educators, and feature varied activities like ambulatory experiences and faculty mentorship.
• Nearly 70% of directors perceive a positive impact on students entering primary care.

Conclusions:

• Primary care tracks exhibit diversity and can be adapted to institutional missions.
• A majority of clerkship directors affirm the positive influence of these tracks on student entry into primary care.