Focused Practice and Enhanced Skills PGY3 Training in Family Medicine: A Mixed Methods Study.
Abstract
There is a growing trend among family physicians (FPs) to focus their practice in specialized areas. The reasons underlying this trend are incompletely understood. A mixed methods study was conducted to understand this issue. A secondary analysis of data from a survey of Western University family medicine program graduates highlighted the associations of postgraduate third-year (PGY3) training and physician’s remuneration strategy with focused practice. The overall service provision of focused practice FPs was centered on specialized areas, especially among those who practiced in non-office settings. A descriptive qualitative study explored the perspectives of residents accepted into the PGY3 programs at Western University on undertaking enhanced training and their career prospects. Participants’ perspectives were shaped by their experiences within the family medicine discipline and training contexts, and by individual resident’s aspirations. Findings from this thesis provide insights for family medicine education, workforce planning, and policy making in the Canadian health system.