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Primary Care Internal Medicine: A Challenging Career Choice for the 1990s
- Mack Lipkin, Jr., MD;
- Wendy Levinson, MD;
- Randol Barker, MD;
- David Kern, MD;
- Wylie Burke, MD;
- John Noble, MD;
- Steven Wartman, MD; and
- Thomas L. Delbanco, MD
Abstract
A career in primary care internal medicine can be challenging and rewarding, yet during the last decade fewer medical students have selected training in internal medicine. We wish to inform medical students, their advisors, and other physicians about the field of primary care internal medicine. We define the discipline, compare it with traditional internal medicine and with family practice, and describe features of strong primary care internal medicine training programs. We discuss common misconceptions and concerns about training programs and the career and give examples of career paths chosen by graduates of primary care programs. We encourage students to consider the option of primary care internal medicine when making career decisions and provide faculty advisors unfamiliar with primary care internal medicine training programs with a reference resource.
Article and Author Information
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From New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York; Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, Portland, Oregon; The Francis Scott Key Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland; The University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; The Boston City Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island; and Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. For current author addresses, see end of text.
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Requests for Reprints: Mack Lipkin, Jr., MD, Department of Medicine, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016.
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Current Author Addresses: Dr. Lipkin: Department of Medicine, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016.
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Dr. Levinson: Department of Medicine, Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, 2282 NW Northrup, Suite 27, Portland, OR 97210.
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Drs. Barker and Kern: Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 4940 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224.
Dr. Burke: Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview 2A-60, Seattle, WA 98195.
Dr. Noble: Department of Medicine, Boston City Hospital, 818 Harrison, Boston, MA 02118.
Dr. Wartman: Division of General Internal Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI 02902.
Dr. Delbanco: Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA 02153.
- © 1990 American College of Physicians
