Marketing family medicine

I was happy to read the practical suggestions put forth by Dr Kredenster in her President's Message (June 2009). I concur with her belief that we all share a responsibility for better promoting the discipline (specialty?) of family medicine to the general public and specifically to medical students.

However, the sudden rise in popularity of family medicine as a first choice made by medical students during the CaRMS matching process is easily explained by the inclusion of the three French Quebec faculties in CaRMS since 2006. Graduates of the English Canadian faculties consistently chose family medicine approximately 26% of the time between 2003 and 2005 (there was a tiny increase of about 1.5% per year), then family medicine as a first choice across Canada rose abruptly to around 30% from 2006 onward, without any further tendency to rise or fall afterward.

The three francophone Quebec faculties are following the CaRMS data with some concern, noting worrisome fluctuations from one graduating class to another within each faculty. We promote family medicine as best we can, always on our guard that this volatility might presage a decrease in interest in family medicine. In fact, the current Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Yves Bolduc, ordered the four Quebec faculties of medicine to develop comprehensive action plans with the objective of inducing up to 45% (and perhaps eventually 50%) of our graduates to chose careers in family medicine: only time will judge our success.