Tested a quantitative method for assessing medical resident support groups; used the Group Environment Scale to evaluate changes occurring during support group participation. Found that the GES is a useful tool for assessing intern support groups, and that the expressiveness, self-discovery, and anger and aggression subscales showed significant…

Surveyed community physicians affiliated with a teaching hospital to assess factors influencing their decisions to serve as preceptors and the relative value of incentives. Found that student influence on patient care was a driving factor, that preceptors preferred nonmonetary compensation, such as continuing medical education credit, and that…

Surveyed the use and composition of required procedure lists in U.S. family practice residency programs. Although a majority of respondents reported use of a required procedure list, programs differed greatly in terms of required procedures, and few defined how to evaluate the technical competency of their residents. (EV)

Discusses the trend away from geriatrics training in family medicine residency despite the growing need in society. Asserts that family medicine is failing to seize an opportunity to advance the care of older adults and discusses what would constitute acceptable training in geriatrics and how it should fit into the family medicine curriculum. (EV)

Describes a curriculum intended to culminate in a resident-produced, evidence-based guideline for the care of patients with diabetes. Evaluation of the curriculum showed that learners appreciated the skills and knowledge gained in devising guidelines in an evidence-based manner but were uncertain that their searches were complete. Clinical…

Summarizes the initial results of the regional geriatric medicine curriculum retreats for family practice residency directors provided as part of the American Academy of Family Physicians multi-part project to improve the amount and quality of geriatric medicine education received by family practice residents. (EV)

Offers a position statement on geriatric education in family practice residency, asserting that limited progress has been made despite an increasing need for such education. Offers seven recommendations, such as: every family practice residency should integrate a variety of training sites into a comprehensive curriculum of geriatric education that…

A survey of family practice residency directors found that 92 percent have a required geriatrics curriculum; nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home care are the predominant training sites; the mean number of geriatrics faculty is 2.6 per program; and conflicting time demands with other curricula was ranked as the most significant…

Examined family practice residency directors' perspectives on the National Resident Matching Program and medical students' recruitment behavior. Analysis of questionnaire responses (n=351) found that while few directors felt it was ethically wrong for students to interview in more than one specialty, most indicated that knowledge of this behavior…

Examined possible predictors of physician nursing home practice including residency experiences. A survey of 170 family physicians found physicians with an active nursing home practice were more likely to reside in a small community, have a hospital practice, see more outpatients, and work more hours but not necessarily residency experience of…

Investigated group characteristics associated with authoritative versus collaborative teaching by behavioral science faculty. Faculty used twice as many collaborative as authoritative teaching comments. Males used more authoritative comments than females; first-year and female residents received more teaching than did more-experienced and male…

Describes and evaluates the reflecting team approach with family practice residents to teach interviewing skills, systems-oriented psychosocial interventions, and patient behavioral health consultations. Questionnaire responses of 18 family practice residents participating in a longitudinal behavioral health program at the University of Arizona…

Describes and evaluates a teaching initiative in evidence-based medical care in McGill University's family practice residency program. Discusses results of pre- and post-course self-assessments by students, which indicated significant increases in skill at formulating clinical questions and searching for evidence-based answers, appraising reviews,…

A survey of 298 family-practice residency program directors found an increase in the amount of residency curricular time devoted to training on domestic violence. On average, programs provide four to five hours of training a year, mostly through didactic lectures. (Author/MSE)

A survey of 383 faculty in family medical-residency programs explored perceptions of 60 professional, scheduling, compensation, and regional factors as they related to overall job satisfaction and career plans, and 59 factors related to the initial decision to enter academic family medicine. Results indicate high levels of satisfaction, feeling…