Integrating family and culture into medicine: a family systems block rotation.

Fam Med · 1993

other · Level V

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Family-oriented care and sociocultural awareness are core competency objectives in behavioral science education. Nevertheless, teaching "family" and "culture" in ways that are meaningful and useful to residents can be a challenging task for family medicine educators. METHODS: We describe a block rotation that integrates family systems theory, family-oriented skills, and sociocultural awareness into residency education. Several objectives and teaching methods are presented in detail. RESULTS: Resident evaluations completed one year after graduation indicated that these skills were useful in practice. All respondents recommended continuation of the block rotation in the curriculum. CONCLUSION: The success of the rotation is due to a highly interactive small-group format, an emphasis on practical skills, and a multidisciplinary teaching approach. Advanced scheduling of faculty is necessary to ensure their uninterrupted participation in the rotation.