Family practice

As the specialty of family practice entered its second decade this past year, the leadership—which is made up of representatives from the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Practice, the Family Health Foundation of America, and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (and which is euphemistically known as the “Family”)—withdrew briefly into a “retreat” atmosphere to pause and view ourselves critically. It became apparent that family practice is no longer the “new kid on the block.” We saw things that made us proud; with deeper introspection, we found much to make us humble. We Are Proud of… It is with pride that we approach the 400-mark in number of accredited residency programs; nearly 7,000 residents are in training. Our academic arm is fairly strong, and the specialty still captures the interest of the major portion of medical students; interestingly enough, the students who enter family.