Patricia Martin is a family physician.
In family medicine, there’s a minor obsession with the word “pipeline.” The term makes me want to scream. Just think about a pipeline. The “line” part is superfluous. A pipeline is actually just a pipe. Our goal is to stuff prospective mission-driven family physicians into a big pipe, confine them there and apply large amounts of pressure to push them through this pipe as quickly as possible, lest the pressure …
In some circles of medicine, going long periods of time without eating a meal is considered a rite of passage and one’s ability to forgo his or her basic metabolic needs is considered a badge of honor. In other circles of medicine, there are gourmet lunches of kale salad and lobster bisque being delivered by pharmaceutical company representatives on a daily basis.
No one in either circle seems quite comfortable with …
According to a recent publication by the Robert Graham Center, the number of family physicians practicing high-volume obstetrics (more than 50 deliveries per year) dropped by over one-half from 2.3 percent of practicing family physicians in 2003 to 1.1 percent in 2016.1 In small corners of the country, though, innovative training programs continue to foster these skills among learners and build supportive communities for family …
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