Prevention of complications in initial development of family practice residency programs

The development of a family practice residency program involves a complex process that requires careful attention to a wide range of factors, such as educational, clinical, attitudinal, economic, and administrative. Although there are many requisites in common with all such programs, each developing program must be adapted to the particular resources and needs of its own community. The initial planning phase is perhaps the most critical period in a program's development. There are many potential pitfalls that must be avoided in starting a program, any one of which can jeopardize its accreditation and future successful operation. This paper presents a hypothetical case of a developing family practice residency program which illustrates a number of serious pitfalls. Common pitfalls are described, and ten basic principles are presented which are useful in planning and will help to prevent complications in developing programs.