Family medicine shortage: Why future doctors look elsewhere

Dr. Genaro DeLeon, a resident physician at the Cleveland Clinic, is navigating a common crossroads in medical training as he evaluates whether to pursue a career in surgery or family medicine. The decision highlights a frequent consideration among clinical trainees who must align their professional interests with the distinct demands of different specialties before completing their residency requirements.

Cleveland Clinic’s residency framework provides structured rotations, clinical electives, and faculty mentorship to help residents assess their aptitudes across multiple disciplines. Surgery training emphasizes procedural proficiency, acute care management, and intensive hospital-based practice, while family medicine focuses on comprehensive, longitudinal patient care across diverse age groups and clinical settings. Residents typically utilize this comparative exposure, along with guidance from program directors and specialty advisors, to make informed career choices.

As Dr. DeLeon progresses through his training, his deliberation reflects the standard decision-making process embedded in modern medical education. Academic medical centers maintain flexible training pathways to support residents through such pivotal evaluations, ensuring that physicians ultimately enter practice in specialties that