The article by Shaw et al,1 which is one in a series that explains the Triple C initiative, in the March 2012 issue was excellent. It was beautifully written, concise, and right on target for readers who might be new to these terminologies—not an easy task, given the large number of authors! One of the final paragraphs hinted at an interesting challenge that lies ahead. While the rationale for changing to family medicine–centred residency education is clearly presented and easy to understand, it might legitimately still be viewed as largely theoretical. Some theories, in hindsight, made a lot of good sense at the time, yet fell to practical challenges and rigorous testing. As a discipline, and as a specialty, it will be important to question these new changes, even as we proceed. At every step we will need to ask ourselves not only whether our specialty is better served, but also whether our patients are truly seen to benefit. As much as it will be exciting for our future family medicine researchers to explore new and innovative ways to measure cause and effect, it will also be their scientific if not moral obligation. We owe our patients nothing less.
Footnotes
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Competing interests
None declared
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