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. 2019 Aug;11(4):447-453.
doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-19-00010.1.

Delivering on the Promise: Exploring Training Characteristics and Graduate Career Pursuits of Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Programs and Tracks

Robin Klein, Samantha Alonso, Caitlin Anderson, Akanksha Vaidya, Nour Chams, Anu Kurl, Katryna Lim, Caitlin Taylor, Stacy M Higgins

Delivering on the Promise: Exploring Training Characteristics and Graduate Career Pursuits of Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Programs and Tracks

Robin Klein et al. J Grad Med Educ. 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Specialized primary care internal medicine (PC IM) residency programs and tracks aim to provide dedicated PC training. How programs deliver this is unclear.

Objective: We explored how PC IM programs and tracks provide ambulatory training.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey from 2012 to 2013 of PC IM program and track leaders via a search of national databases and program websites. We reported PC IM curricular content, clinical experiences, and graduate career pursuits, and assessed correlation between career pursuits and curricular content and clinical experiences.

Results: Forty-five of 70 (64%) identified PC IM programs and tracks completed the survey. PC IM programs provide a breadth of curricular content and clinical experiences, including a mean 22.8 weeks ambulatory training and a mean 69.4 continuity clinics per year. Of PC IM graduates within 5 years, 55.8% pursue PC or general internal medicine (GIM) careers and 23.1% pursue traditional subspecialty fellowship training. Curricular content and clinical experiences correlate weakly with career choices. PC IM graduates pursuing PC or GIM careers correlated with ambulatory rotation in women's health (correlation coefficient [rho] = 0.36, P = .034) and mental health (rho = 0.38, P = .023) and curricular content in teaching and medical education (rho = 0.35, P = .035). PC IM graduates pursuing subspecialty fellowship negatively correlated with curricular content in leadership and teams (rho = -0.48, P = .003) and ambulatory training time (rho = -0.38, P = .024).

Conclusions: PC IM programs and tracks largely deliver on the promise to provide PC training and education and produce graduates engaged in PC and GIM.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors declare they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Clinical Ambulatory Training in Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Programs and Tracks
Figure 2
Figure 2
Curricular Content of Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Programs and Tracks
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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