A comparison of two approaches to producing competent primary care physicians

The current shortage of primary care physicians demands that medical schools implement procedures to ameliorate this deficiency. Two general approaches to the problem were evaluated in regard to their utility as possible solutions. It was concluded that only an approach that advocates medical curriculum manipulation offers a viable direction for medical educators. Conversely, a technique that focuses primarily on the selection of medical school applicants possessing certain biographical characteristics was found to have a number of inherent shortcomings that negate its effectiveness.