First time at NC!

It's my first time at the AAFP National Conference and my first time in Kansas City; actually it's my first time in Missouri. Nice place, good barbeque.

Do you remember when we had that discussion: Why is primary care not sexy? I think it was during the Crisis in Primary Care talk last fall. After Dr. Epperly's keynote speech yesterday, I think we can all agree that if primary care was not sexy before, it sure is now. What a great beginning to what is turning out to be a great conference! I definitely think everyone should have the chance to hear Dr. Epperly speak on the current healthcare reform...

Well, guess what?

Dr. Epperly is coming to BUSM in October! More details are coming, but suffice it to say that the FMIG Region 4 Coordinator, our very own Sebastian Tong, cornered Dr. Epperly at NC last year and somehow convinced him into putting BUSM onto his calendar during his trip to the AAFP Scientific Assenbly in Boston!

Yesterday, the first day of the conference, I attended a number of great workshops, my favorite being "Maternal Care and Childbirth." Dr. Scott Stringfield from the Via Christi Family Medicine Residency in Wichita, KS, examined most of the misperceptions surrounding family medicine physicians who practice obstetrics.

I became much more interested in family medicine after learning that family docs CAN deliver babies, and that family docs CAN perform c-sections. Two weeks after my last exam of first-year, I shadowed on the Labor & Delivery floor at BMC for a day. It was so cool, you should definitely do it too. If you didn't know already, at BMC the attending duties on L&D are equally shared by an OB/Gyn physician, a family medicine physician, and a midwife!

However, there are many physicians who will argue that family physicians cannot safely provide obstetrical care for a myriad of reasons such as inadequate training. Dr. Stringfield encouraged all of us to examine the data and to look at existing family medicine residency programs that include extensive OB training.

Family Physician OB Stats from the presentation:

• In 1987 41% of family physicians did OB in practice

As of December 2008 (latest figures available) …

• 22.9% family physicians doing OB (range 8.0 – 45.4 %)
• Highest region – West North Central @ 45.4% (IA, KS, MN, mo, NE, ND, SD)
• 7.3% family physicians do c-sections (range 0.8 – 11.1 %)
• 4% of FM privileges denied (usually related to OB)
• Highest area of restriction – New England region 4.9%
• Studies show that family physicians deliver 23% of America’s babies!
  

After going through many advantages of including OB in your practice, Dr. Stringfield also addressed audience concerns such as rising malpractice costs and difficult schedules. Come talk to me at school or email me if you want to hear more details!