Adult medicine training experiences in a small-town family practice residency

Purpose. To document the adult medicine experiences of family practice resi dents training in a small rural hospital. Method. The authors tracked all inpatient admissions and consults for the f irst year of a newly accredited family practice residency program, located in a small-town, 80-bed hospital. They analyzed the data for volume of admi ssions, sources of admissions, diagnoses, lengths of stay, and ICU experien ce. Results. The residents saw a significant Volume of patients, encountered a wide variety of diagnoses, and had ample opportunities for learning, in spi te of the small number of occupied beds. Conclusion. Family practice residents in small hospitals can have sufficien t inpatient training experiences in adult medicine. The authors believe tha t the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education should encourage the development of residency programs in rural communities by simplifying the accreditation documentation requirements for smaller hospitals.