Igniting Interest in Primary Care Internal Medicine: How One Program Fueled Embers to Get Residents Fired Up about Outpatient Medicine

Registration will open Nov. 25, 2026.

Internal medicine residencies are graduating lower percentage of outpatient physicians despite our nation suffering from a primary care physician shortage. Even residents who enter residency with the desire to practice outpatient medicine, or train in primary care residencies, are often turning away from primary care. Additionally, national ITE question performance and self-assessed comfort dealing with outpatient topics suggest that trainees are less well-equipped to address outpatient medical issues.  While residencies may not be equipped to change the broad systems issues that negatively impact primary care, educators still strive to enhance resident outpatient skills and satisfaction with their outpatient experience.

Presenters will describe some low-cost methods that helped to significantly increase satisfaction with the continuity practice experience. These processes were instrumental in facilitating a higher percentage of graduates that committed to outpatient medicine/primary care positions.  Residents will share some of these methods, including the multidisciplinary resident run continuity clinic committee, and a semi-monthly navigating the clinic series.