Organized creativity is alive and well here
"Organized Curiosity" as a description for Family Practice Research originated with T.S. Eimerl. This description suggests a certain informality that suits us as Family Practitioners while at the same time denoting an organization suitable for methodologists. (Journal Coll Gen Pract, 1980; 3:246-52)
One of the most famous general practitioners in England in the first half of the 20th Century was Will Pickles. He is generally given credit for determining the incubation period of most of the major infectious diseases, to notice the relationship of Chicken Pox to the subsequent development of shingles, to describe Bornholm's disease, to describe the infectious nature of certain types of Hepatitis, and to describe Farmer's Lung.
In the present day we, as family physicians, should answer the questions which are unique to our practices and our patient populations. Even questions seemingly answered by the specialists may need to be re-examined in the light of our own experience before they can be generalized to the types of people seen by primary care physicians.
The St. Anthony Family Medicine Residency Program seeks to instill in its residents the basic skills necessary for "organized curiosity." This occurs in the following ways:
- Teaching in the first year sharpens residents; skills in critical appraisal of the literature.
- Over the course of the second and third years, residents will be involved in a research project gaining experience in defining a research question, organizing a research proposal, data collection, data analysis, medical writing, and paper presentation. They will be assisted by the faculty.
In summary, St. Anthony Family Medicine Residents will be able to critically appraise the literature and use new information in their clinical decision making. They will complete a research project in an area of interest. The faculty are anxiously awaiting the new Will Pickles of the world.
Learn More About... Salary & Benefits | Back
