Conducting Research as a Family Medicine Resident

Research in primary care is essential because clinical care must be based on research evidence, and the evidence base for the majority of care for the population cannot be generated through animal studies and/or laboratory or hospital-based research.¹ Numerous studies have been written about the lack of research production within the discipline of family medicine.^2,3 One way to alleviate this problem would be to be more proactive toward research in family medicine residencies. Engaging family medicine resident physicians in research while they are “green” offers enormous potential to expand the field of research in family medicine. These practitioners would hopefully take what they had learned during their training and continue it into their professional careers.

Now that I have finished my family medicine residency and had time for retrospection, I can sincerely say that I am pleased that I spent the extra effort to work on different research projects throughout my training. I carried this gratification into a palliative medicine fellowship during my PGY-4 year, and plan on continuing research throughout my career. There is a certain satisfaction and enjoyment that comes with the feeling that you have worked to promote better patient care. Whenever I sit down and think of a research study I want to investigate, I consider how this could ultimately affect the future of patient care. We all studied medicine with the goal of helping people live better lives. I feel that giving your patients the best care you can provide, along with participating in studies to advance patient care will allow you to achieve this goal.

Ironically, while I discussed research with my peers during residency, the common responses I received were mostly focused on not having enough time, lack of interest in research, and a general insouciance. Time was extremely limited, and the breaks we had were often spent performing mindless activities to give our brains the rest they needed. This brings up the question: how can we get more family medicine residents interested in conducting research?

Many solutions have been proposed to increase residents’ interest in research during their residency. These solutions include faculty mentors, a formal research curriculum, a forum to present projects, technical assistance, dedicated research time, and funding support.⁴ Of all the previous solutions mentioned, I can speak from personal experience that a faculty member who is willing to spend the time to teach and give you the tools you need to succeed is by far the most important. While I was completing my residency, one faculty member not only introduced me to research, but took the time out of her schedule to encourage and help me expound on my interest in research.

I encourage all “teachers in family medicine” to think about this the next time they are speaking to a resident. Perhaps you will be discussing a different way to treat a patient’s condition. You might be at a round table talking about an unusual case and the success you had with your individual treatment plan. Take the time to encourage and assist your residents to research this topic and publish the information so that other practitioners may offer the same new treatments to their patients. This extra time could mean the difference between a good or bad outcome, and they will only have you to thank.

• © Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.