• R J Kohlwes, R L Shunk, A Avins, J Garber, S Bent, and M G Shlipak.
• General Internal Medicine Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA. jeffk@medicine.ucsf.edu
• J Gen Intern Med. 2006 May 1;21(5):506-9.

AimThe Primary Medical Education (PRIME) program is an outpatient-based, internal medicine residency track nested within the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) categorical medicine program. Primary Medical Education is based at the San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), 1 of 3 teaching hospitals at UCSF. The program accepts 8 UCSF medicine residents annually, who differentiate into PRIME after internship. In 2000, we implemented a novel research methods curriculum with the dual purposes of teaching basic epidemiology skills and providing mentored opportunities for clinical research projects during residency.SettingSingle academic internal medicine program.Program DescriptionThe PRIME curriculum utilizes didactic lecture, frequent journal clubs, work-in-progress sessions, and active mentoring to enable residents to "try out" a clinical research project during residency.Program EvaluationAmong 32 residents in 4 years, 22 residents have produced 20 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 1 paper under review, and 2 book chapters. Their clinical evaluations are equivalent to other UCSF medicine residents.DiscussionWhile learning skills in evidence-based medicine, residents can conduct high-quality research. Utilizing a collaboration of General Internal Medicine researchers and educators, our curriculum affords residents the opportunity to "try-out" clinical research as a potential future career choice.

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