The impact of Title VII departmental and predoctoral support on the production of generalist physicians in private medical schools
R. M. Politzer, S. Horab, E. Fernandez, S. Gamliel, N. Kahn and F. Mullan
Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Professions, Rockville, Md., USA.
Although federal support for medical education comes from several sources,
only 1 targets generalist education--Title VII of the Public Health Service
Act. With governmental streamlining and downsizing, the federal investment
in medical education should be evaluated. We tested the relationship
between 2 Title VII authorities and presence of a medical school generalist
training infrastructure, and the relationship between this infrastructure
and generalist production. Based on our definitions for receipt of Title
VII support, generalist infrastructure, and generalist production, we found
that, for private schools, sustained receipt of Title VII funds directed
for undergraduate medical education is positively associated with presence
of family medicine departments, which is positively associated with higher
rates of generalist production. Establishment and maintenance of family
medicine departments in private schools and their generalist production are
positively associated with Title VII support. Title VII support in public
schools, the major generalist producers, has less of a unique measurable
impact on generalist production.
