A First Look at the VA MISSION Act Veteran Health Administration Medical School Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs.

Background: The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is challenged by physician staffing shortages. The 2018 VA MISSION ACT authorized 2 scholarship and loan repayment programs. The Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) created scholarships for physicians and dentists.

Veterans Affairs Graduate Medical Education Expansion Addresses U.S. Physician Workforce Needs.

The United States has a well-trained, highly specialized physician workforce yet continues to have care gaps across the nation. Deficiencies in primary care and mental health specialties are most frequently cited, though critical shortages in multiple disciplines exist, particularly in rural areas. Sponsoring institutions of physician graduate medical education (GME) have created rural residency tracks with modest federal funding and minimal incentives, though efforts targeting shortages in these specialties and geographic locations have been limited.

Management of pelvic pain from dysmenorrhea or endometriosis.

Many women suffer from pelvic pain, and a great many visit their family doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Two common causes are primary dysmenorrhea and endometriosis. Primary dysmenorrhea is best treated by prostaglandin inhibition from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2)-specific inhibitors.

Evaluation and treatment of posterior neck pain in family practice.

Neck pain is almost universal and is a common patient complaint. Although the differential diagnosis is extensive, most symptoms are from biomechanical sources, such as axial neck pain, whiplash-associated disorder (WAD), and radiculopathy. Most symptoms abate quickly with little intervention.

Pain management by the family physician: the family practice pain education project.

Pain is a common complaint of patients who visit a family physician, and its appropriate management is a medical mandate. The fundamental principles for pain management are: placing the patient at the center of care; adequately assessing and quantifying pain; treating pain adequately; maximizing function; accounting for culture and gender differences; identifying red and yellow flags early; understanding and differentiating tolerance, dependence and addiction; minimizing side effects; and being familiar with and using CAM therapies when good evidence of efficacy exists. The pharmacologic management of pain requires thorough knowledge of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cyclo-oxygenase-2-specific inhibitors, and opioids.