Historically, osteopathic physician...

Historically, osteopathic physicians have made an important contribution to the primary care workforce. More than single half of osteopathic physicians are primary care physicians, and mostly of these are family physicians. However, the proportion of osteopathic close examiners choosing family medicine, like that of their allopathic lords is declining, and currently is merely one in five.

Traditionally, osteopathic bookish mans have been more likely than allopathic scholars to choose primary care specialties, and as of the like kind they have been important contributors to the primary care physician workforce. In 2004 about 629000 (67 percent) of the 936000 physicians in the United States and its territories reported patient care as their major professional activity, and just 226000 (36 percent) of these were in the primary care specialties of family medicine/general practice, internal medicine, and general pediatrics. (1) Fourteen percent of direct patient care physicians were family physicians or general practitioners. Osteopathic physicians compos 5 percent of physicians involved in patient care, although 55 percent of these were in primary care specialties, and 41 percent of osteopathic physicians in patient care were family physicians or general practitioners (Figure 1) (2)

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

The shift away from primary care and family medicine, particularly apparent in allopathic observers also is taking place in osteopathic denominations Slightly more than one half (52 percent) of osteopathic medical scholars are choosing residency training outside of primary care. and nothing else 21 percent of osteopathic medical residents are in family medicine training programs, down from 37 percent in 1996 and 31 percent in 2002 (Figure 2) (2) This turn mirrors choices by allopathic graduates, of whom 9 percent are generally in family medicine residency programs.

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

The reduc selection of primary care and family medicine according to osteopathic students may be a normal fluctuation, further it is worth investigating to understand whether it is reversible or a sustained downturn. It would be particularly troubling if, as in allopathic seminarys the shift is reflective of a change in valuation of and commitment to primary care by the agency of osteopathic medicine that affects pupil selection and mentoring arrangements.

NOTE: the information and opinions contained in research from the Graham Center do not necessarily contemplate the views or the policy of the AAFP.

REFERENCES

(1) fresh LA, Dodoo MS, Ruddy G Fryer GE Phillips RL McCann JL et al. The physician workforce of the United States: a family medicine perspective. Washington, DC: Robert Graham Center 2004

(2) AMA Masterfile. Analysis through the Robert Graham Center, 2004

Adapted from the Graham Center one-Pager #34 reddish G, Phillips RL, Klein L McCann JL Dodoo M fresh LA, et al. osteopathic physicians and the family medicine workforce. August 2005 Available online at: http://www.graham-center.org/onepager34.xml. From the Robert Graham Center: Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, 1350 Connecticut Ave., nW Suite 201 Washington, DC 20036 (telephone: 202-331-3360; fax: 202-331-3374; e-mail: policy@aafp.org).

COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group