Outpatient clinic experiences in a family medicine residency

The nation is facing a primary care physician shortage, estimated to exceed 50,000 by the year 2025. It is imperative that family medicine residency programs are training competent, confident physicians to overcome an unprecedented shortage. To do this effectively, family medicine educators must have a thorough understanding of the factors that affect resident education in the outpatient clinic. There is currently little qualitative or context-specific research on resident education in which family medicine residents tell of their experiences and perceptions of education in the outpatient clinic. Little is known of the relationship between family medicine education in the outpatient clinic and residents' career choice following residency training. This indicates a true gap in research and an opportunity to focus on family medicine training to ensure residents are adequately prepared for practice following graduation, enabling them to accept positions in traditional family medicine. In this study, the researcher sought to understand the educational experiences of family medicine residents in the outpatient clinic. A qualitative investigation examined 24 participants including 17 residents, 4 faculty physicians, and 3 nurses to explore topics related to resident education in the outpatient clinic through one-on-one in-depth interviews and direct observation in the outpatient setting.;This research revealed the factors affecting resident education in the outpatient clinic (primary themes) including: types of patients; patient volume; resident feelings about the clinic; direct observation; and feedback from faculty. Other factors affecting resident education in the outpatient clinic (secondary themes) include: doctor-nurse relationship; resident's self-confidence; faculty characteristics; and completing administrative tasks. In addition, the impostor phenomenon may play a role in resident career choice.;The most significant findings of the research revealed that the resident educational experience is enriched by faculty physicians and nursing staff who are dedicated and passionate about resident education and interested in the educational outcomes of their learners.