Giving curriculum planners an edge: using entrance surveys to design family medicine education.

OBJECTIVE: To pilot a survey of family medicine residents entering residency, describing their exposure to family medicine and their perspectives related to their future intentions to practise family medicine, in order to inform curriculum planners; and to test the methodology, feasibility, and utility of delivering a longitudinal survey to multiple residency programs. DESIGN: Pilot study using surveys. SETTING: Five Canadian residency programs. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 454 first-year family medicine residents were surveyed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Residents' previous exposure to family medicine, perspectives on family medicine, and future practice intentions. RESULTS: Overall, 70% of first-year residents surveyed responded (n = 317). Although only 5 residency programs participated, respondents included graduates from each of the medical schools in Canada, as well as international medical graduates. Among respondents, 92% felt positive or strongly positive about their choice to be family physicians. Most (73%) indicated they had strong or very strong exposure to family medicine in medical school, yet more than 40% had no or minimal exposure to key clinical domains of family medicine like palliative care, home care, and care of underserved groups. Similar responses were found about residents' lack of intention to practise in these domains. CONCLUSION: Exposure to clinical domains in family medicine could influence future practice intentions. Surveys at entrance to residency can help medical school and family medicine residency planners consider important learning experiences to include in training.