Skip to main content

Main menu

  • HOME
  • ARTICLES
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Special Collections
    • Abstracts In Press
  • INFO FOR
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Call For Papers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • SUBMIT
    • Manuscript
    • Peer Review
  • ABOUT
    • The JABFM
    • The Editing Fellowship
    • Editorial Board
    • Indexing
    • Editors' Blog
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • Other Publications
    • abfm

User menu

Search

  • Advanced search
American Board of Family Medicine
  • Other Publications
    • abfm
American Board of Family Medicine

American Board of Family Medicine

Advanced Search

  • HOME
  • ARTICLES
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Special Collections
    • Abstracts In Press
  • INFO FOR
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Call For Papers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • SUBMIT
    • Manuscript
    • Peer Review
  • ABOUT
    • The JABFM
    • The Editing Fellowship
    • Editorial Board
    • Indexing
    • Editors' Blog
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • JABFM on Bluesky
  • JABFM On Facebook
  • JABFM On Twitter
  • JABFM On YouTube
Article CommentaryCommentary

The Differing Career Choice Paths of MD and DO Family Medicine Residents: A Call to Action

Julie P. Phillips, Tracy O. Middleton and Karen B. Mitchell
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine January 2026, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2025.250398R0
Julie P. Phillips
From the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, MI (JP); Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glendale, AZ (TM); American Academy of Family Physicians, Leawood, KS (KM)
MD, MPH, HALM
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Tracy O. Middleton
From the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, MI (JP); Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glendale, AZ (TM); American Academy of Family Physicians, Leawood, KS (KM)
DO, FACOFP
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Karen B. Mitchell
From the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, MI (JP); Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glendale, AZ (TM); American Academy of Family Physicians, Leawood, KS (KM)
MD, FAAFP
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

References

  1. 1.↵
    The Health of US Primary Care: 2025 Scorecard Report - The Cost of Neglect 2025. Available at: https://www.milbank.org/publications/the-health-of-us-primary-care-2025-scorecard-report-the-cost-of-neglect/ [August 18, 2025].
  2. 2.↵
    1. Barr WP,
    2. Peterson L,
    3. Fleischer S,
    4. Bazemore A
    . Clerkship rotations are a key driver of family medicine choice: insights from the 2024 National Resident Survey. JABFM. 2025; Available at: X:X-X.
  3. 3.↵
    1. Lee AL,
    2. Erlich DR,
    3. Wendling AL,
    4. et al
    . The relationship between medical school clerkships and primary care specialty choice: a narrative review. Fam Med 2022;54:564–71.
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  4. 4.↵
    1. Anthony D,
    2. Jerpbak CM,
    3. Margo KL,
    4. Power DV,
    5. Slatt LM,
    6. Tarn DM
    . Do we pay our community preceptors? Results from a CERA clerkship directors' survey. Fam Med 2014;46:167–73.
    OpenUrlPubMed
  5. 5.↵
    1. Saperstein AK,
    2. Woodward SL,
    3. Cirks BT,
    4. Wendling AS,
    5. Smith MD
    . 55-word stories about medical student's clerkship experiences. Mil Med 2016;181:1401.
    OpenUrlPubMed
  6. 6.↵
    Functions and Structure of a Medical School: Standards for Accreditation of Medical Education Programs Leading to the MD Degree. 2025. Available at: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Flcme.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F05%2F2026-27-Functions-and-Structure_2025-05-21.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK [August 18, 2025].
  7. 7.↵
    Accreditation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: COM Continuing Accreditation Standards. 2025. Available at: https://osteopathic.org/index.php?aam-media=/wp-content/uploads/COCA-2023-COM-Continuing-Accreditation-Standards.pdf [August 18, 2025].
  8. 8.↵
    1. Peters AS,
    2. Clark-Chiarelli N,
    3. Block SD
    . Comparison of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools' support for primary care. J Gen Intern Med 1999;14:730–9.
    OpenUrlPubMed
  9. 9.↵
    1. Seehusen DA,
    2. Raleigh MF,
    3. Phillips JP,
    4. et al
    . Institutional characteristics influencing medical student selection of primary care careers: a narrative review and synthesis. Fam Med 2022;54:522–30.
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
  10. 10.↵
    Ten States with the Most People Living in Primary Care Shortage Areas. Health Guide USA Commentary. Available at: https://commentary.healthguideusa.org/2022/01/ten-states-most-people-living-primary-care-shortage-areas.html [August 18, 2025].
  11. 11.↵
    1. Basu S,
    2. Phillips RS,
    3. Berkowitz SA,
    4. Landon BE,
    5. Bitton A,
    6. Phillips RL
    . Estimated effect on life expectancy of alleviating primary care shortages in the United States. Ann Intern Med 2021 Jul;174:920–6.
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
Previous
Back to top

In this issue

The Journal of the American Board of Family     Medicine: 38 (6)
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Vol. 38, Issue 6
November-December 2025
  • Table of Contents
  • Cover (PDF)
  • Index by author
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Board of Family Medicine.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
The Differing Career Choice Paths of MD and DO Family Medicine Residents: A Call to Action
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Board of Family Medicine
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Board of Family Medicine web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
6 + 0 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
The Differing Career Choice Paths of MD and DO Family Medicine Residents: A Call to Action
Julie P. Phillips, Tracy O. Middleton, Karen B. Mitchell
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Jan 2026, DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2025.250398R0

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
The Differing Career Choice Paths of MD and DO Family Medicine Residents: A Call to Action
Julie P. Phillips, Tracy O. Middleton, Karen B. Mitchell
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Jan 2026, DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2025.250398R0
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Notes
    • References
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Medical Aid in Dying State Laws: A Thirty Year Evolution
  • Reimbursement and Policy Considerations of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in Rural Family Medicine
Show more Commentary

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • Career Choice
  • Family Medicine
  • Residency
  • Workforce

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues

Authors & Reviewers

  • Info For Authors
  • Info For Reviewers
  • Submit A Manuscript/Review

Other Services

  • Get Email Alerts
  • Classifieds
  • Reprints and Permissions

Other Resources

  • Forms
  • Contact Us
  • ABFM News

© 2026 American Board of Family Medicine

Powered by HighWire