Strengthening academic generalist departments and divisions.

Academic departments of family medicine and divisions of general internal medicine and general pediatrics exist in the majority of medical schools in the United States and have important roles in generalist medical education. The major organizational issues facing these units concern institutional influence, faculty development, role in medical education, research productivity, financial stability, and clinical responsibilities. These issues must be understood in order for medical schools and teaching hospitals to achieve the societal goal of producing necessary generalist physicians.