Development of a multidisciplinary primary care program at the Drew University of medicine and science

This article describes a required primary care curriculum for all third and fourth year medical students at the Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program. The curriculum is a supplement to the traditional medical school clinical requirements. Key features of the primary care core curriculum in the third year include a weekly half-day multidepartmental continuity clinic in a community health center serving underrepresented minority populations, a weekly didactic conference on primary care and society, a weekly clinical workshop on primary care skills, a weekly case review conference, and an orientation to primary care research methods. Fourth year medical students select a primary care subinternship that extends half days for 10 weeks in a community-based ambulatory care clinic. Fourth-year students also are required to select a mentor and conduct a research project on a primary care topic. Continuity of care records suggest that this program has been successful in allowing medical students to assume primary responsibility for a set of patients and to maintain significant levels of continuity of care over the course of the year. The evolution of the program, problems encountered, and anticipated changes in the curriculum are discussed.