[Current status of postgraduate training in family and community medicine in the rural environment].
OBJECTIVE
To find the present state of postgraduate teaching in Family and Community Medicine, (FCM) in rural areas, according to the view of teaching unit (TU) coordinators.


METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional study using a mail questionnaire.


METHODS
The 75 TUs of FCM in Spain.


METHODS
TU coordinators.


METHODS
In January 1996 a questionnaire with 29 questions was sent to the TU coordinators. In May 1996 it was sent again to those who had not replied.


RESULTS
68 (90.66%) of the TUs replied, which covered all the Spanish provinces except four. Out of the TUs who replied, 42 (61.76%) had a rural Health District (RHD) or local practice (LP) in their area, and 37 (54.4%) had some RHD/LP doctor accredited as a tutor. Of the 1,894 tutors in all, 1,675 (88.43%) worked in urban areas and 219 (11.56%) in rural areas. Before 1989 there had been only three RHD/LP tutors.


CONCLUSIONS
There are few RHD/LP tutors. Teaching in rural areas should be strengthened, both because of these areas' specific requirements and because they could be the future workplaces of many of our present Residents.
Igual Fraile
D
D
Centro de Salud Aldea Moret, Cáceres.
Fernández Rojas
J
J
Comellas Nicolás
C
C
Palomo Cobos
L
L
D003154:Community Medicine / Q000193:education*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D012423:Rural Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires