The Role of PhDs in Family Medicine Research

Research is being recognized as important to the further growth of Family Medicine. It is also important to improving the health of the nation. Family Medicine must consider the barriers and facilitators to research to plan for the future. Understanding the role of all members of the research team is necessary. In February 2024, a descriptive analysis of Family Medicine Principal Investigator (PI) with active projects funded by the National Institutes of Health(NIH) was performed using the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Results (RePORTER) tool. Sixty-four percent of the 310 grants identified were awarded to Principal Investigators (PIs) with PhD degrees. Researchers with a PhD have been able to significantly contribute to the research mission of the discipline. Family medicine will need to continue to expand the research team to optimize productivity.