The long-term effect of an innovative family physician curricular pathway on the specialty and location of graduates of the University of Washington

To report the specialty and rural/urban distribution a mean of 19 years after graduation for a cohort of students from a family physician curricular pathway. Specialty and location information for medical students who had entered the University of Washington between 1968 and 1973 was obtained from the 1994 Physician Masterfile of the American Medical Association. Of the 239 family physician pathway graduates, 173 (72%) had intended family practice at graduation, and 136 (57%) were family physicians two decades later. The proportions of all graduates in family practice and of graduates serving rural Washington as family physicians had increased over that of a cohort of students who had entered the University of Washington prior to the introduction of the pathway curriculum. These proportions surpassed the goals set at the time the new curriculum was introduced. With early identification and support of students interested in family practice, an increased number entered the specialty and were still family physicians in mid-career.