Length of training debate in family medicine: idealism versus realism?

How long a resident must train to achieve competency is an ongoing debate in medicine. For family medicine, there is an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-approved proposal to examine the benefits of lengthening family medicine training from 3 to 4 years. The rationale for adding another year of residency in family medicine has included the following: (1) overcoming the effect of the duty hour limits in further reducing educational opportunities, (2) reversing the growing number of first-time takers of the American Board of Family Medicine primary board who fail to pass the exam, (3) enhancing the family medicine training experience by "decompressing" the ever-growing number of Residency Review Committee requirements to maintain accreditation, and (4) improving the overall quality of family medicine graduates.