Residents' perceptions of a college health clinic to train internal medicine residents in adolescent and primary care internal medicine.

Purpose: To assess internal medicine residency graduates' perception of the value of a college health clinic in providing adolescent medicine and general primary care training to internal medicine residents.

Methods: An 11-item questionnaire was sent in mid-2004 to all physicians who had received training at a college health clinic during their internal medicine residency program. Variables examined included time in the clinic and current practice characteristics. In addition, the physicians were asked to compare their residency college clinic with their continuity clinic in the following educational areas: care of the adolescent patient, diagnosis and management of primary care conditions, coding, practice modeling, and overall learning experience.

Results: There was a response rate of 71% (30/42). Respondents reported that 31% of their current patients had conditions seen at the college health clinic. The college clinic was felt to be better than the continuity clinic in preparation for the office practice of general internal medicine; the care of the adolescent patient; the diagnosis and management of illnesses such as upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and eating disorders; modeling an effective and efficient office practice; and as an overall learning experience. Ninety percent of respondents recommended continuing the use of a college clinic as part of the educational experience for internal medicine residents.

Conclusion: Internal medicine residency training programs should consider using college health clinics to provide adolescent medicine training and training for the practice of primary care medicine.