Extended Duration of Training, Resident Physician Well-being, and the Primary Care Physician Shortage: Questions Remaining Following the Length of Training Pilot

This issue of Family Medicine features two reports 1,2 from the Length of Training Pilot (LoTP) study, a multicenter pilot evaluation, started in 2013, of 4-year family medicine residency programs, compared against the current 3-year standard. 3n evaluating clinical preparedness, 1 the LoTP collaboration found similar performance among 3-and 4-year residents in attainment of 18 of 21 entrustable professional activities, with higher performance among 4-year graduates in comprehensive, longitudinal medical care for people of all ages; managing prenatal care; and managing labor, delivery, and postpartum care.Their scope of practice investigation 2 found evidence that 4-year graduates were more likely than 3-year graduates to provide pediatric and adult inpatient care, and were more likely to provide 13 of 24 evaluated procedures.