Improving the Ambulatory General Internal Medicine Experience in Undergraduate Medical Education: a Call for Action.

Abstract

There is a current and growing shortage of primary care physicians. Medical school graduates are increasingly choosing subspecialty careers, making it essential to strengthen the primary care pipeline beginning in undergraduate medical education (UME). Improved exposure to ambulatory general internal medicine (GIM) careers and practice environments is critical in this effort. This article organizes the authors' review of existing literature into three interrelated domains that shape student experiences and career decision-making: the primary care ecosystem, faculty development and engagement, and student educational experiences. By identifying key challenges and opportunities within each domain, this paper highlights actionable strategies to promote student interest in primary care. This serves as a call to action for medical schools and Departments of Medicine to intentionally enhance the UME GIM experience through longitudinal and authentic clinical experiences, student mentorship, enhanced faculty support, and LCME advocacy to improve recruitment and retention in primary care.