Family Medicine Journal

As an evocative form of knowledge generation, visual methods allow researchers, participants, and audiences to consider problems in new ways. This article provides an overview of visual methods, with a focus on health professions and medical education: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Knowledge syntheses (ie, "reviews") help medical educators manage information overload by integrating evidence for informed decision-making. This article outlines synthesis types, key steps, reporting guidance, methodological pitfalls, and innovations: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Medical education is a fitting context for mixed methods research—explicitly integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches to leverage strengths and weaknesses. In this article, authors describe underlying principles and explain key considerations: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Qualitative research addresses why and how questions in health care through interviews, focus groups, observations, or archival data. This practical guide for clinicians gives a grand tour of the purpose of and approaches to qualitative study designs: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Quantitative research in medical education uses statistical methods to measure outcomes, evaluate programs, and test innovations. This article aims to help clinician-educators apply these methods with greater confidence: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Mixed-methods research (MMR) is beneficial in health professions education, where measurable outcomes and lived experiences are both essential to understanding learning and patient-care in real-world contexts.

Qualitative research is a way to produce knowledge about human experiences by exploring how participants engage with and interpret phenomena of interest. Here are four foundational concepts, five common qualitative methodologies, and a sample decision tree.

Family Medicine (@fammedjournal.bsky.social) seeks submissions for a theme issue on exploring the scope of practice in family medicine.

More information: www.stfm.org/news/2025-ne...

The February issue of Family Medicine is a themed issue on research methods!

As guest editor LaKesha Anderson, PhD, notes in her editorial, “methods should not dictate the research question; rather, the research question should drive the method.”

Full editorial: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

The February issue of Family Medicine is a theme issue on research methods!

The articles in this themed issue all focus on #research methods and methodologies for #medicaleducation scholars.

Here are links to all the digital articles in the issue: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

In this narrative essay, authors describe encounters and conversations with undocumented patients.

"Our patients without legal status raise their children with the same dreams I have for mine. Yet their human rights are being stripped away."

journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

"My journey with my first memorable patient started with listening long enough to understand, and not a diagnosis."

Edward M. Delesky, MD, in this narrative essay, "The Misunderstood Man Who Changed My Medicine": journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

In this narrative essay, "I Started Buying the Chocolate Bar and the Almonds Separately", Kendall M. Campbell, MD FAAFP, uses his story of buying almonds separately as a metaphor for the adaptability and resilience of family medicine physicians: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

In this narrative essay, Robin O. Winter, MD, MMM, describes the experience of going to physical therapy and bonding with others in their individual paths to recovery: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

"Surprisingly, there little evidence about teaching leadership skills in medical education."

Sarina Schrager, MD, editor in chief of Family Medicine, in the From the Editor column: "Leadership Training in Family Medicine": journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Recent evidence has suggested that fewer family medicine clerkships are using community preceptors as their primary source of teaching. One way to incentivize community preceptors is to pay them.

Multiple factors make paying community preceptors complex: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

While new Electronic Residency Application Services features were perceived favorably by interview participants overall, applicants, program directors, and advisors desire increased clarity and consistency in communications to alleviate applicant stress: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

About half of medical residents report experiencing bullying behaviors in training settings. This study expands on findings that suggest those in medical education have inaccurate peer perceptions of attitudes/behaviors related to reporting bullying: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Family medicine residency faculty occupy multiple roles with residents, including teacher, adviser, evaluator, and supervisor. This study examined the prevalence, types, and consequences of faculty–resident dual relationships: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Maternal care in the United States is in crisis due to obstetrics workforce shortages. Family medicine obstetrics (FMOB) fellows are surgically trained and uniquely positioned to help address the current workforce crisis: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Clerkship directors value the role for promotion and career advancement, yet they feel inadequately compensated and report insufficient time for the role and for scholarship. Here authors explore characteristics of US CDs and perceived benefits and challenges: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Social Network Analysis (SNA) offers a way to explore relational dynamics in health care and educational settings.

N-of-1, or single-case trials, are individualized, crossover studies that compare intervention effects within a person or group. They provide a framework for personalized clinical or educational decisions by alternating interventions while collecting outcomes.

Medical librarians are underutilized experts in managing information to support faculty in scholarly projects.

These 10 tips offer practical guidance for collaboration between medical librarians and academic family medicine faculty.

Racial affinity caucusing (RAC) is a tool wherein participants gather in self-identified racial groups to learn and share experiences around race and racism. While used in many settings, little is known about the experience when used in GME: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have potential utility in multiple domains, including medical education. However, educators have yet to evaluate AI’s assessment of medical students’ clinical reasoning as evidenced in note-writing: journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

@fammedjournal.bsky.social, the scientific publication of STFM, is seeking papers for an upcoming theme issue focused on the integration of POCUS into family medicine education/training.

Submit by Jan 15 using Family Medicine's Online Manuscript Submission System: mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fammed

"A Shared Humanity" by Jeanne Spencer, MD, explains the touching relationship between a Muslim resident and a pastor at the end of his life, and how this experience "gives me hope involved one of our internationally trained residents."

journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

"And I, the white coat water bearer,
Do the only human thing, a drink
To the fallen soldier. Dream,
Please dream of boats and beaches
While water does its work."

Jon O. Neher, MD, in "Hypernatremia": journals.stfm.org/familymedici...

"It’s invisible when done well.
It will be missed like a mother when it’s gone.

It’s about seeing and knowing and caring,
about the past, and now, and then,
even when it hurts."

Johanna M. Lynch, PhD, MBBS, with "The Gift of Generalism": journals.stfm.org/familymedici...