Academic-community linkages: Community-based training for family physicians

Background: Community-based curricular experiences have been proposed to fulfill the graduate training needs of future family physicians. Are such experiences feasible? How can such experiences be started? What outcomes can be expected? Methods: We describe 15 years' experience with community-based training in family practice graduate medical education at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. We also describe the process of creating academic- community linkages using stakeholder management and the resultant programs that evolved to fulfill specific training requirements. Results: Five of the curricular programs designed are described, four of which were successful. Community-based training enhanced recruitment of students of minority background into the residency, and a high proportion of residency graduates have established practices in communities with undeserved populations. Conclusions: Community-based training of family physicians is a feasible and effective means of addressing unmet health needs of communities served by graduate medical education programs and their related health care institutions.