Family medicine
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The number of family physicians who include obstetric care in their scope of practice is declining, resulting in lower access for patients to obstetric care, especially in rural and underserved communities. In our study, we aimed to understand the experiences of mid- to late-career family physicians and capture suggestions regarding how to maintain obstetric deliveries as part of practice throughout their careers. ⋯ The findings revealed individual- and structural-level considerations to improve longevity in obstetric scope of practice. Support from multiple levels is necessary to ensure that competent family physicians continue attending deliveries throughout their careers. Practices and hospital systems can have a sizeable impact by directly helping family physicians provide obstetric primary care within their scope of practice, while national organizations can influence health care system-level changes.
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Many health conditions are preventable or modifiable through behavioral changes. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based communication technique that explores a patient's reasons for behavioral changes. This study assesses the current landscape of MI training in North American Family Medicine (FM) clerkships. ⋯ Opportunities exist to enhance the volume, content, and rigor of MI training in North American FM clerkships as well as to improve self-reported student MI competency within those clerkships.
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The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid changes to medical education for student and patient protection. A dearth of published US studies examine resulting clinical education outcomes due to pandemic-induced curricula changes. We describe adaptations made to a family medicine clerkship to move it from traditional in-person delivery to virtual only, and then from virtual to hybrid; and compare educational outcomes of students across delivery types. ⋯ Students receiving virtual-only or hybrid content performed at least as well on three clerkship-related educational outcomes as their pre-COVID peers participating in person. Further research is needed to understand how changes to medical education affected student learning and skill development.