Alcoholism training in a family medicine residency

The literature in alcoholism education for the health professions reveals that despite some strides in the development of training programs, both medical students and practicing physicians exhibit negative attitudes toward alcoholics that may adversely affect the care offered to these patients. This paper presents a program of alcoholism identification and management training for family practice residents which has been developed to supplement an existing drug abuse treatment program. Residents spend four half-day sessions engaged in seminars, outpatient experiences, and inpatient rotations under the direction of a clinical psychologist specializing in substance abuse and under the direction of the medical staff of a voluntary hospital well-known as a center of alcoholism treatment. Training activities include participation in group therapy sessions with alcoholic patients, interviewing patients in the early stages of rehabilitation, participation in an adolescent alcoholism treatment program and attendance in seminars on the prevention, identification, and treatment of alcoholism. Residents' evaluations of the experience reveal overall satisfaction with the program and their roles in its conduct, but they indicate a need for more active roles in the hands-on management of emergency cases.