Trend analysis of changes in family practice residency graduates' practice characteristics and comparison with recent...

Graduate follow-up studies provide medical educators with important evaluation information and insight into graduates' practices. This study compares early practice choices of two cohorts of family practice residents who graduated a decade apart. The earlier cohort's changes in practice characteristics over a 10-year period were also analyzed.

Using a mailed survey, graduates of the University of California-Davis Family Practice Residency Network have been periodically surveyed since 1978. Using data from these surveys, early practice choices of the two cohorts were compared. In addition, the responses of the earlier cohort were tracked over time to determine whether any early practice patterns still existed.

Significant differences in the early practice choices of the two cohorts of graduates were found in the areas of practice organization, use of mid-level practitioners, perception of need for primary care physicians, and inclusion of pregnancy care in practice. A significantly lower percentage of recent graduates had entered private practice, compared with the earlier cohort (37% vs 50%, P = .02). Recent graduates were more likely to perceive a need for primary care physicians. Finally, the early practice choice differences between the two cohorts had all but disappeared 10 years later as the earlier cohort's practices had changed to resemble more closely those of the recent graduates.

This study concludes that the practices of both established family physicians and recent graduates are changing. Residency faculty must understand how these changes influence the skill and knowledge needs of their future graduates and should design practice management curricula accordingly.