Postgraduate training positions. Follow-up survey of third-year residents in family medicine.
OBJECTIVE
To survey all family medicine programs in Canada to determine how many positions for third-year training were available.


METHODS
The survey instrument contained questions to determine how many second-year positions and how many third-year positions each program had. Descriptions of third-year positions were requested. One survey question asked about the percentage of people with third-year training who initially went into rural or small-town practice. Last, each program director was asked for an opinion on how many third-year positions should be available for further training.


METHODS
The survey was administered to the program directors of all 16 family medicine programs in Canada.


METHODS
Program directors of departments of family medicine.


RESULTS
The survey indicated that the number of third-year positions was 18% of the number of second-year positions currently available (an increase over the 10% determined in Busing's study in 1989). The largest proportion of third-year training was in emergency medicine, and approximately 30% of third-year positions were primarily reserved for physicians intending to go into rural practice. Academic family physicians and residents are in fairly close agreement that third-year positions should represent 40% of second-year positions.


CONCLUSIONS
A survey of Canadian family medicine programs during the 1996-1997 academic years indicated that third-year positions available for family medicine residents have almost doubled since Busing's original survey in 1989.
Chaytors
R G
RG
Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
Spooner
G R
GR
Moores
D G
DG
Woodhead-Lyons
S C
SC
D002170:Canada; D003625:Data Collection; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011365:Professional Practice Location