Graduates' assessments of undergraduate training in ambulatory primary care education

A random sample of graduates of an undergraduate medical education program was surveyed to determine the graduates' assessments of their community health center (CHC) training relative to how their time was spent in the training, goals of the experience, strengths and weaknesses of the program, and how the program prepared them for residency training. The graduates favorably evaluated patient contact time provided by the program but felt too much time was spent waiting for faculty members and more time should be spent interacting with other health professionals. Nearly two-thirds of the graduates indicated no change should be made in proportion of time spent in the CHC. The experience was viewed as providing early primary care exposure, the opportunity to follow patients over time, and the opportunity to learn the doctor-patient relationship. However, some of the graduates felt there was too much emphasis on primary care in their fourth year. Finally, over 91 percent of the graduates thought the training prepared them as well as or better than other residents were prepared by other programs.