The specialty continues to create new residencies, and the number of residents is escalating. The table below indicates dramatic growth since 1991, including a record 3,494 first-year residents as of July 1 this year.
The Academy's workforce reform recommendations call for 3,870 residency-trained family physicians to enter practice each year, so the specialty still has some growing room. Two articles written by Academy staff in the September Family Medicine analyze the data reflecting medical students' enthusiasm for family practice.
| 1991 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| Number of residencies* | 390 | 436 | 452 |
| First-year positions available as of 7/1 | 2,736 | 3,338 | 3,572 |
| First-year positions filled as of 7/1 | 2,416 | 3,252 | 3,494 |
| Total number of residents as of 7/1 | 7,275 | 9,410 | 10,102 |
*Residencies accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
FP Report, October 1996
headlines
