Do we really need family medicine research?
amily medicine research has a low profile in Canadian medical schools and among community-based family doctors. Some family practitioners believe that all research should be done only by specialists, as they know more about conditions within their specialties. Most community practitioners are unaware of any family medicine research that has infl uenced the way they practise. Ninety-three percent of medical students completing an exit survey after the Canadian Resident Matching Service matches in 2002 and 2003 said they would never consider family medicine if they were interested in an academic career; 97% said they would never consider family medicine if they were interested in a research career. Many family medicine residents complain about their program’s requirement to complete an academic project during their residency. Some applicants for family medicine residencies go as far as avoiding programs that require a project. The quality of resident academic research projects assessed by the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC’s) Section of Researchers to determine the two best Canadian resident projects each year is quite exceptional. Th e projects are publishable and make important contributions to family medicine. Every year, many residents’ career choices are infl uenced by the work they did on their projects.