Cultivating interest in family medicine: family medicine interest group reaches undergraduate medical students.

Problem Addressed: Fewer medical students are choosing careers in family medicine across Canada. One way to cultivate student interest is through creation of family medicine interest groups. Students, residents, community-based family physicians, and academic faculty can all contribute to the success of such groups.

Objective Of Program: A family medicine interest group provides information about the challenging and rewarding career of family medicine through medical students' exposure to family physicians and residents.

Program Description: A group of faculty and undergraduate students combined forces to form the Family Medicine Club. Development of this group and results of evaluation of its effectiveness to date are discussed.

Conclusion: One mechanism to increase interest in primary care as a career is to initiate and foster a family medicine interest group that links students with family physicians.