Family medicine
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Faculty shortages are a significant concern in family medicine education. Many family medicine residency programs need to recruit faculty in the coming years. As a result, family medicine faculty and resident physicians will be interviewing candidates to fill these vacancies. Little is known about the characteristics valued in a family medicine residency faculty candidate. ⋯ These results provide an important snapshot of the characteristics valued in faculty candidates for family medicine residency programs. Understanding the paradigm used by existing faculty and resident physicians in family medicine residency programs when considering new faculty hires has an important impact on faculty recruitment and faculty development programs.
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Professionalism is essential in medical education, yet how it is embodied through medical students' lived experiences remains elusive. Little research exists on how students perceive professionalism and the barriers they encounter. This study examines attitudes toward professionalism through students' written reflections. ⋯ Medical students view professionalism as a balance of forces. While many students conceived of professionalism in relation to patient encounters, they also described how professionalism manifests in inner qualities as well as in health systems. Interpersonal challenges related to communication and agenda-setting are predominant. Systems challenges include not being seen as the "real doctor" and being shaped by team behaviors through the hidden curriculum. Our findings highlight salient professionalism challenges and identity conflicts for medical students and suggest potential educational strategies such as intentional coaching and role-modeling by faculty. Overall, students' reflections broaden our understanding of professional identity formation in medical training.
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Despite the growing rate of deaths caused by firearms, it is not clear what role physicians should play in counseling patients about firearm safety. This study aims to delineate the perceptions and experiences of family physicians regarding firearm safety counseling. ⋯ Firearm safety is an important public health issue and family physicians would benefit from receiving formal training on firearm safety counseling early in their training. More education is needed around physician-initiated firearm safety counseling.