Pediatric training in family medicine residency programs

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Family Medicine
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Family medicine residency programs are crucial for training primary care physicians.
• Pediatric training is a core component of family medicine curricula.
• Assessing the scope and structure of pediatric training is essential for physician competency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey pediatric training aspects in family medicine residency programs.
• To understand the duration and methods of pediatric education.
• To gauge program directors' views on family physician pediatric competence.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was distributed to 236 family medicine residency program directors.
• Response rate was 82%.
• Data collected on duration, content, and faculty of pediatric training.

Main Results:

• Mean pediatric training duration was 9.0 months (25% of curriculum).
• Training included ambulatory care (3.4 months) and pediatric rotations (5.6 months).
• 46% of programs had full-time, board-certified pediatricians on staff; high perceived competence in newborn, inpatient, and ambulatory care.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric training in family medicine residencies varies significantly.
• Current training models utilize family practice centers and pediatric rotations.
• Further evaluation of pediatric training quality is warranted.