A Shared Aim for Student Choice of Family Medicine: An Update From Adfm and Family Medicine for America’s Health

Background and Objectives: Trainees—medical students and residents—are an important constituency of family medicine. The Family Medicine for America’s Health (FMAHealth) Workforce Education and Development (WED) Tactic Team attempted to engage trainees in FMAHealth objectives via a nationally accessible leadership development program. We discuss a how-to mechanism to develop similar models, while highlighting areas for improvement. Methods: The Student and Resident Collaborative recruited a diverse group of trainees to comprise five teams: student choice of family medicine, health policy and advocacy, burnout prevention, medical student education, and workforce diversity. An early-career physician mentored team leaders and a resident served as a liaison between the Collaborative and WED Team. Each team established its own goals and objectives. A total of 36 trainees were involved with the Collaborative for any given time. Results: Including trainees in a national initiative required special considerations, from recruitment to scheduling. Qualitative feedback indicated trainees valued the leadership development and networking opportunities. The experience could have been improved by clearly defining how trainees could impact the broader FMAHealth agenda. To date, the Collaborative has produced a total of 17 conference presentations and four manuscripts. Conclusions: Although trainees felt improvement in leadership skills, more robust trainee involvement in FMAHealth core teams would have made the leadership initiative stronger, while simultaneously improving sustainability among family medicine and primary care reform strategies. Nonetheless, the unique structure of the Collaborative facilitated involvement of diverse trainees, and some trainee involvement should be integrated into any future strategic planning.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student and Resident Involvement in Family Medicine for America’s Health

Coutinho

Bhuyan

Gits

et al. 2019

“…6 Family medicine's geographic distribution also more closely matches that of the US population than any other medical specialty. [7][8][9] As a result, many entities dedicate resources toward increasing the number of US medical students ORIGINAL ARTICLES who enter family medicine residency training programs to grow the US primary care workforce. Among those entities are the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the 55 constituent state and local chapters of the AAFP, and departments of family medicine at US medical schools.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Eight national family medicine organizations have committed to working together toward an aim of 25% of graduating US medical students, allopathic and osteopathic, entering family medicine by the year 2030. 8 The AAFP offers free membership to medical students, supports family medicine interest groups (FMIGs) at medical schools through an extensive set of interventions and resources, and hosts an annual conference for medical students and family medicine residents.…”

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confidence: 99%

Graduating Medical Student Perspectives on Factors Influencing Specialty Choice

Kost

Bentley

Phillips

et al. 2019

Background and Objectives: Fewer than 10% of US medical school graduates enter family medicine residencies each year. Little is known about the perceptions and attitudes of senior medical students as they make final decisions about specialty choice, especially those that support a decision to pursue family medicine. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) administered a national survey to US seniors in 2015 to explore these factors. Methods: US seniors who were AAFP members (N=11,998) were invited to complete a survey exploring attitudes toward family medicine and experiences that influenced interest and choice of family medicine (FM) or other specialties. This was offered after students submitted their National Residency Matching Program rank list but before match. For those matching in family medicine, additional questions explored mentorship experience. Factors significantly predicting intent to match in family medicine, mentor attributes significantly influencing student attitudes, and family medicine interest group (FMIG) participation were identified via regression. Results: The survey response rate was 15.1%. Student perceptions of the respect of FM (OR=0.82), the future of FM (OR=2.04), and FMIG involvement (OR=1.75) predicted choosing FM, as did AAFP student membership (OR=2.13-2.44) and AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Students attendance (OR=9.77). For students entering FM, having supportive mentors outside of FM and being dedicated to FM positively influenced their attitudes toward FM and their FMIG participation. Conclusion: National programs, FMIGs, mentorship, and medical school support of family medicine play a role in student selection of family medicine.

“…1 Family medicine physicians uniquely focus on the patientphysician relationship in the context of the family and the community, which may play a critical role in providing care in rural areas. 2,3 Students with a rural or an economically disadvantaged background are more likely to want to practice in an underserved area. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Additionally, generating early interest in family medicine may also be a strategy to increase residency choice.…”

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confidence: 99%

Combined Baccalaureate/Medical Degree Students Match Into Family Medicine Residencies More Than Similar Peers: A Matched Case-Control Study

Ballejos

Shane

Romero-Leggott

et al. 2019

Background and Objectives: We sought to evaluate whether the University of New Mexico (UNM) Combined Baccalaureate/Medical Degree (BA/MD) program increases the likelihood that students match into family medicine residencies. Methods: We used binary logistic regression to predict interest and actual residency match in family medicine. We compared BA/MD participants to similar peers (one-to-one match subject design) and all other students for the nine cohorts of medical students who have matriculated into UNM School of Medicine since the inception of the BA/MD program (medical school matriculation years 2009-2017). We also investigated whether BA/MD students were more likely to select family medicine as their specialty choice at the time of matriculation using survey responses. Results: At the time of matriculation, the differences in identifying family medicine as a first specialty choice between BA/MD, similar peers, and all other students were small and not statistically significant. However, upon graduation, 33% of BA/MD students matched into family medicine compared to 17% of similar peers, a statistically significant difference even after controlling for United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) test scores and several demographic factors. Conclusions: The University of New Mexico Combined Baccalaureate/Medical Degree students match into family medicine at nearly twice the rate of traditional medical degree students, suggesting that the UNM BA/MD program serves to increase the growth rate of the family medicine workforce.