Evaluating perceptions of community-based physicians from a high-retention clerkship

Objective: This study's objective was to ascertain factors contributing to high retention of community-based sites and their physicians in a 3-decade-old family medicine clerkship. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with community-based physicians from the Medical College of Georgia's family medicine clerkship. Transcripts were analyzed using an iterative process regarding physicians' initial and ongoing motivations for participating in the clerkship. Results: Thirteen physicians participated. Six themes were generated: family medicine promotion, valued role of teaching, leadership style, clerkship ownership, resources, and challenges. Conclusions: In addition to intrinsic motivators such as valuing the role of teaching the next generation of physicians and promoting the family medicine specialty, the participative leadership style of a clerkship may be an important factor in physicians' decision to teach in a clerkship. The physicians in this study described having collegial working relationships with the clerkship leaders and receiving consistent support in implementing objectives. Physicians attributed their high level of involvement and investment as a product of being respected partners in defining the clerkship. Financial support and teaching resources were also considered salient. A follow-up study with a larger population is warranted to support the importance of leadership style and other external motivating factors toward a clerkship's physician retention.