Family Medicine Residents' Perspectives in Dermatology Training

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Dermatological concerns are one of the most common presentations in family practice. Residents often feel inadequately prepared to address these concerns after graduation. This preliminary qualitative study was conducted to gain insight from residents about their post-graduate training in dermatology with a family physician practicing in dermatology. Family medicine residents (within five years of graduation) who completed their training at an academic family medicine centre in rural Southwestern Ontario affiliated with the local University's Department of Family Medicine were interviewed (n=7). Phenomenological analysis was performed on the interviews using qualitative principles of immersion and emergence. Three main themes based on training with a family physician were identified: 1) Personal Enrichment, 2) Professional Enrichment, and 3) Understanding of System Barriers and Facilitators. Training with a family physician practicing in dermatology is useful for residents to gain comfort and skills in the discipline, allowing them to better serve their patients when in independent practice.