Article Figures & Data
Tables
Graduation Year Cohort Respondents Cohort as % of Total Male No. Female No. Total No. 1936–1945 2 1 3 5.8 1946–1955 7 1 8 15.4 1956–1965 8 3 11 21.2 1966–1975 13 2 15 28.8 1976–1985 7 8 15 28.8 Total 37 15 52 100.0 Data from: Mullan F. Primary care oral history collection. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101166350.22
- Table 2
Respondents Reporting Disparagement for Choice of Primary Care Specialty, by Medical School Graduation Year Cohort
Graduation Year Cohort Reporting Disparagement % (No.) Total No. of Respondents 1936–1945 66.7 (2) 3 1946–1955 75.0 (6) 8 1956–1965 63.6 (7) 11 1966–1975 46.7 (7) 15 1976–1985 73.3 (11) 15 Data from: Mullan F. Primary care oral history collection. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101166350.22
Additional Files
The Article in Brief
Hostility During Training: Historical Roots of Primary Care Disparagement
Joanna Veazey Brooks
Background In light of the growing shortage of primary care physicians, a researcher illuminates the historical roots of primary care disparagement by analyzing primary care physician oral histories collected between 1995 and 1996.
What This Study Found Examining 52 oral histories, the authors finds 64 percent of respondents reported experiencing discouragement and disparagement about primary care across 5 decades. Analysis revealed that hostility toward primary care was embedded in the culture and structure of medical training, creating barriers to the portrayal of primary care as appealing and important. While some respondents reported support for primary care choice, it was uncommon.
Implications
- The author concludes that for policy responses to be most effective in meeting the primary care workforce shortage, they must address the presence and power of persistent and deeply rooted hostility against primary care during training.
