Adult medicine training experiences in a small-town family practice residency

Purpose. To document the adult medicine experiences of family practice residents training in a small rural hospital. Method. The authors tracked all inpatient admissions and consults for the first year of a newly accredited family practice residency program, located in a small-town, 80-bed hospital. They analyzed the data for volume of admissions, sources of admissions, diagnoses, lengths of stay, and ICU experience. Results. The residents saw a significant Volume of patients, encountered a wide variety of diagnoses, and had ample opportunities for learning, in spite of the small number of occupied beds. Conclusion. Family practice residents in small hospitals can have sufficient inpatient training experiences in adult medicine. The authors believe that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education should encourage the development of residency programs in rural communities by simplifying the accreditation documentation requirements for smaller hospitals.