By Alexis Reedy-Cooper, M.D., MPH | October 31, 2023 Article Citation: Beinhoff P, Prunuske J, Phillips JP, et al. Associations of the Informal Curriculum and Student Perceptions of Research with Family Medicine Career Choice. Fam Med. 2023;55(4):233-237. DOI: 10.22454/FamMed.2023.862044 What is this article about? The researchers in this study measured collective Family Medicine Attitudes Questionnaire (FMAQ) scores at different medical schools to determined if there was a correlation between the FMAQ score for the medical school and Family Medicine career choice. They used these scores as a way to measure institutional attitudes regarding family medicine at different medical schools. They also looked at each of the subscales in the FMAQ to determine if certain subscales tended to be more associated with students going into Family Medicine. They found that there was a positive correlation between aggregate FMAQ scores for 15 medical schools surveyed and published Family Medicine graduation rates. Data for the only Osteopathic medical school participating in the study were excluded as an outlier even though this school had the highest number of students graduating from Family Medicine training programs. Positive FMAQ scores in the research subcale had the strongest correlation with matching into a Family Medicine residency. Why should you read the article? The US is facing a primary care physician shortage. Determining why students choose to pursue careers in Family Medicine may help to inform efforts to address the primary care physician shortage. There has been discussion in the past regarding how attitudes regarding Family Medicine in a medical school influence medical student specialty choice but this paper attempts to measure that influence using a standardized questionnaire. How can you use this article? This article can be used to inform discussions encouraging medical students to pursue careers in Family Medicine. It may help to explain why some primary care pathway initiatives are successful at one school but less successful at another. It provides some insight into how attitudes towards a specialty like Family Medicine at an institutional level can influence medical student choice. Review Author: Alexis Reedy-Cooper, M.D., MPH; Associate Professor and Residency Program Director, Department of Family Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA. Organization: Society of Teachers of Family MedicineInstitutional Attitudes Regarding Family Medicine Are Associated with Family Medicine Career Choice