Training family medicine specialists in other specialty environment

Abstract

While many hospitals in Japan are certified to train family physician residents, most have limited experience in this training. The training of a family physician to provide primary care requires a unique set of educational experiences compared to the traditional training of other specialists. Family physicians specialize in the breadth of medical care encountered in a primary care setting rather than the depth of care required in a single organ specialty. In addition to training in the family medicine center to develop ambulatory care skills, family physician residents also need to train with other specialists in hospitals and outpatient settings. Specialists of all disciplines have an essential role in training family physician residents, but there is no clear consensus about what family medicine residents should be taught. To maximize the training with other specialists, residents and teaching physicians need rotation-specific educational goals when training with other specialists to realize the expertise needed for the full spectrum of family medicine.