What do they contribute? Family medicine residents who practise in cities.

OBJECTIVE To determine how a cohort of family practice residents graduating between 1990 and 1997 was serving the needs of urban populations in British Columbia.

DESIGN Survey using mailed questionnaire.

SETTING British Columbia.

PARTICIPANTS All graduates of the British Columbia family practice residency program between 1990 and 1997.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Graduates who were currently practising as family physicians and providing medical care to urban and inner-city populations of more than 100 000, sex, practice profiles, and a comparison with Janus Project data for British Columbia.

RESULTS Of 287 graduates surveyed, 206 responded (71.8%). Less than half (86) identified themselves as practising in urban settings; 61 of those were practising as family physicians. These physicians offered a range of primary care services; many offered inpatient and obstetric care. In addition, many were offering care to disadvantaged inner-city populations with unique and challenging medical problems.

CONCLUSION Recent graduates in family medicine practising in urban and inner-city areas are offering full-service primary care and are not abandoning it for more episodic high-volume medical practice.