brand logo

Am Fam Physician. 2002;65(1):31

to the editor: Many important points are raised in the “Resident and Student Voice” piece on women in medicine.1 I would like to expand on the challenges facing women physicians when having children. As the author points out, many physicians feel “there is no right time to have a child in medicine.”1 I was one of those who thought that the best time for me to have a child was during medical school, because of the flexibility of leave time and the support of my partner. I was also confident that I would be able to find or create a part-time residency in my chosen specialty of family practice, but I found I was wrong. Although my program was admirably flexible, the infrastructure did not exist to support a part-time residency. Now, as I graduate from residency with two sons who are four and six years old, I feel even more strongly about the need for part-time residencies.

Part-time residencies have been investigated since the early 1970s2 and have been implemented in many different programs throughout Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. A survey3 of all medical students at the Medical College of Pennsylvania indicated that 39 percent would probably or definitely apply to part-time residencies if they were available. Moreover, longitudinal data on the outcomes of a part-time residency indicate a higher level of clinical and humanistic skills in the part-time residents.4

Unfortunately, part-time residencies in family practice are hard to find. There are few guidelines for interested applicants,5 and they are put in the position of having to gather information as they are interviewing. The residency directory information regarding part-time residencies is often incorrect or outdated. Also, residency directors may not be in a position to independently create alternative tracks.

I urge the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Board of Family Practice to investigate and promote the creation of dedicated part-time residencies in family practice. Our match numbers reflect a shift from primary care areas to subspecialization; the 2001 FP program fill rate of 76 percent was the lowest since 1994. Attracting and retaining excellent candidates who may have other personal and professional obligations will help our specialty develop. It is time to incorporate the values of family practice into our actual training programs and to support our residents the same way we train them to support their patients.

Email letter submissions to afplet@aafp.org. Letters should be fewer than 400 words and limited to six references, one table or figure, and three authors. Letters submitted for publication in AFP must not be submitted to any other publication. Letters may be edited to meet style and space requirements.

This series is coordinated by Kenny Lin, MD, MPH, deputy editor.

Continue Reading


More in AFP

More in PubMed

Copyright © 2002 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

This content is owned by the AAFP. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP.  See permissions for copyright questions and/or permission requests.