Family medicine
-
As family physicians increasingly begin to practice in a variety of settings both in the U. S. and abroad, they are faced with the challenge of caring for patients from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. In particular it has been suggested that delivering effective and acceptable community oriented primary care requires a deeper understanding of the cultural background of patients, their families, and the social contexts in which they live. ⋯ The "anthropology of family medicine" (the theoretical focus) is distinguished from the "anthropology of family practice" (the applied focus), and contributions from medical anthropological research at the micro (practitioner-patient relationship), intermediate (family), and macro (community) levels of analysis are examined. In particular, three clinical case vignettes are presented which illustrate the ways in which cultural issues can become critical in the care of patients and their families. Finally, the activities of the STFM Task Force on Skills and Curriculum Development in Cross-Cultural Experiences are described, and future directions for research and teaching efforts are proposed.
-
The authors describe a method for teaching preclinical medical students some important family medicine concepts utilizing a seminar format which allows for improved student-teacher interaction and individualization of material. These seminars, on family health behavior, compliance, behavioral interventions for life-style change, and managing stress, were designed to encourage freshman medical students to understand and apply concepts concerning health behavior and attitudes, both personally and professionally. ⋯ Specific areas of positive value included the content and small-group related processes. The seminars also provided data useful for developing programs for students.
-
Biography Historical Article
An unrepentant confusion of Art and Science: William Carlos Williams and Julian Tudor Hart.
-
Although it is important to medical school faculty that they publish articles, little has been done to study the process of submitting manuscripts to journals. Specifically, the authors of this study surveyed authors in nine journals read by family medicine teachers to see if their published articles previously had been rejected by other journals. ⋯ Overall, 11% of the articles published in the eight other journals in the study previously had been rejected by NEJM. It might be interesting for an author whose manuscript is rejected to know the rates of rejection and publication of various journals.