A number of factors have contributed to the decline, Bagley said, not the least of which is students' concern about incurring substantial medical school debt. Despite the current rise in salaries for primary care physicians, the rate of increase is quickly outstripped by educational indebtedness. Lifestyle is another factor Bagley cited. Development of the close doctor-patient relationship that is the hallmark of family practice requires time and skill, but yields immeasurable rewards. Perry Pugno, M.D., M.P.H., director of the AAFP Division of Medical Education, holds a similar view.
Family physicians care about the public.
We need to be sure that those values and the rewards of family practice are being conveyed to medical students. But we must also ensure that we are educating our patients about the specialty of family practice in the same way that we tell them to get their immunizations or teach them about prevention. We need to educate them to become proactive about legislative issues affecting family practice. FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department.