RT Journal
A1 Gillette RD
T1 FAmily medicine
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 1979
FD March 9
VO 241
IS 10
SP 999
OP 999
DO 10.1001/jama.1979.03290360015014
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1979.03290360015014
AB To the Editor.— 
    The challenges placed before family medicine by Edmund D. Pellegrino, MD (240:132, 1978), raise issues beyond those intended by the author. It is undoubtedly true that "every innovation in medical education must ultimately prove itself academically," since the medical schools largely control medical education, but this situation may be less than ideal from the standpoint of meeting the public's health care needs.Family medicine has much to gain by involvement in medical education: a rich heritage of information, teaching methods, and intellectual discipline; knowledge and skills from many medical specialties; and access to medical students interested in becoming family physicians. However, certain hazards must be recognized. One of these becomes apparent as we examine the first of Dr Pellegrino's challenges: "Does [family medicine] have a method and intellectual content not central to any other clinical discipline?" Much effort is being expended to develop an intellectual base for