A survey of formal training in the care of children in family practice residency programs.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Declining hospitalization rates for children and an increased emphasis on ambulatory care may be affecting the way family practice residency programs train their residents in the care of children. METHODS: We surveyed all US family practice residency program directors to determine the nature of the child care training that programs currently provide to residents. RESULTS: Responses were received from 78% of the programs. Residencies required a mean of 5.2 months of formal pediatric training (range: 1 to 11 months). Thirty percent of programs noted a declining inpatient census on inpatient pediatric teaching services, but since 1978, the mean duration of inpatient pediatric training increased by 0.4 months to a required mean of 2.7 months of general pediatric inpatient training (range: 0 to 6 months). The mean time devoted to structured outpatient pediatric training was only 1.6 months (range: 0 to 6 months). Nine percent of responding programs required no formal pediatric outpatient training other than family health center experience. CONCLUSIONS: Despite declining inpatient census and increased emphasis on comprehensive ambulatory care, family practice residencies require more formal inpatient pediatric training than formal outpatient training.