Teaching Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today
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* Robin O. Winter

As family medicine educators, it is our responsibility to teach the content and culture of our specialty to the next generation of family physicians. The publication of the Future of Family Medicine (FFM) report provides a landmark document for residency directors to help fulfill that responsibility. At an organizational level, the Association of Family Practice Residency Directors (AFPRD) has committed itself to leading the implementation of the FFM recommendation concerning family medicine education.

FFM calls for a period of innovation and experimentation in residency education. It reemphasizes the specialty’s commitment to the full continuum of health care, including maternity and hospital care, in addition to community- and office-based practice. Furthermore, it challenges our residencies to maintain the core values of our specialty while embracing new technologies in the delivery of health care, such as electronic health records. Finally, the call for a new model of family medicine pushes our residency programs to totally reexamine our family practice centers from the way we schedule and communicate with patients to the services we offer. The family practice center was one of our specialty’s major educational innovations 35 years ago. Now is the time to be innovative in the family practice center once again.

The AFPRD has embarked on a number of initiatives to contribute to the implementation of FFM. First, the organization’s membership will be voting on a proposal to change our name to the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) at our June 2004 business meeting so we are consistent with the FFM recommendation on communication. To further the leadership and advocacy recommendation, the National Institute for Program Director Development (NIPDD) Academic Council is developing an advanced course on leadership for our membership. We are also initiating an awards program to recognize the hard work and leadership already shown by residency directors. To enhance residents’ understanding of chronic and preventative medical care services discussed in the new model of family medicine, we are currently offering the Better Bones conferences on osteoporosis, and a similar series on diabetes is being planned for 2005. AFPRD is supporting the recommendation on enhancing the science of family medicine by working with the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAP-CRG) to promote research within our residencies.

Finally, at this year’s program directors’ workshop, there will be a plenary session devoted to FFM and 2 discussion forums to promote innovation in family medicine residency education. One forum will provide input into the proposed RRC revisions for residency accreditation, and the second will be on the Family Medicine Curriculum Resource Project and developing a standardized residency curriculum for the future.

Our current residents will ultimately be leading the implementation of the FFM recommendations during their practice careers. The AFPRD is fully committed to making the changes needed today to ensure that our residents are well prepared to be tomorrow’s leaders.

*   © 2004 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.