To the Editor:

Your article “Is It Time to Reexamine Family Practice?” [September 2001, page 43] interested me. As a recent graduate of a rural track residency program, I think it is time to re-examine the core requirements of family medicine training.

For instance, what percentage of graduates actually practice obstetrics five years after residency? Instead of catching babies for three months – all the while knowing I had no desire to do it after residency – I could have used two of the three months to get more experience performing colposcopies and implanting IUDs. I also question the value of first-assisting surgeons for three months of training. Post-op care is more important and could be mastered in a fraction of the time spent retracting or holding laparoscopic cameras.