Selected characteristics of graduate medical education in the United States
Article Abstract:
The Medical Education Group of the American Medical Association has established a Department of Data Systems which has now for the second year used an electronic data collection system to tabulate information on graduate medical education in the United States. Residency programs are designed to provide advanced training for graduate physicians; 88 percent of the 6,622 residency programs surveyed provided some data on their programs. Over the decade from 1980 to 1990, the number of residents in graduate programs increased by 34.9 percent, while the number of residents in the first year of a program decreased by 2 percent. The proportion of women in residency programs has grown by 7.1 percent while the proportion of minority students has remained essentially unchanged. While most residents are MDs, the number of residents who graduated from osteopathy programs (with the DO degree) increased by 265 percent over the same period. Internal medicine programs were most numerous, followed by surgery programs; this is reflected in the number of residents as well. In September 1990, there were 18,734 residents in internal medicine programs and 6,644 residents in surgery programs. Sampling reveals 6,115 residents in pediatric programs and 322 residents in programs for allergy and immunology. Three fourths of the programs reported that residents could rotate through research as a part of their graduate education; in two thirds, a research rotation was required. There is some indication that many residents studying primary care may not spend enough time among ambulatory patients. In hospital settings, the medical experience of the residents may be slanted towards more seriously ill patients. Adjustments have been made in internal medicine programs to provide greater experience with ambulatory patients. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1991
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Specialization and the Physician Workforce: Drivers and Determinants
Article Abstract:
The trend of increasing specialization in medicine has been largely fueled by the explosion of knowledge flowing from the growth in biomedical research since World War II. Many doctors believed that a generalist would no longer be able to treat complex diseases as the medical knowledge base continued to increase.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 2000
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Growth of Specialization in Graduate Medical Education
Article Abstract:
The rise of medical specialties in the US throughout the 20th century is presented. This has happened with little centralized planning, leading to an overabundance of specialties in relation to primary care.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 2000
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