With the increased medical insurance coverage of the average American family, the teaching or "staff" case has become so scarce that in recent years medical educators have had to think in terms of utilization of private patients for teaching purposes. The present paper is a brief outline of the success that the medical service of the Rochester General Hospital has had in using private patients for intern and medical resident teaching during the past three years (1956-1959).
The Hospital
The Rochester General Hospital is a 417-bed, nonprofit, community hospital which is affiliated with the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and Strong Memorial Hospital. It consists of two divisions, the Westside Division, located near the heart of Rochester, and a Northside Division, located near the northeast periphery of the city. The medical service has a total bed capacity of 103, of which 68 are located at the Westside