Each school or college of medicine or medical university supported in whole or in part by the state shall create a curriculum for and maintain a department of family practice, the purpose of which shall be to acquaint undergraduates with and to train postgraduate physicians for the practice of family medicine. The minimum requirements for the department shall include courses of study in family care, including clinical experience, a program of preceptorships, and a program of family practice residencies in university or other hospital settings.

Each program of family practice shall:

(A) Be designated to advance the field of family practice;

(B) Educate all medical students in family practice and encourage students to enter it as a career;

(C) Provide students an opportunity to study family practice in various situations through preceptorships, seminars, model family practice units within the medical school, classroom work, hospital programs, or other means;

(D) Develop residency and other training programs for family practice in public and private hospitals, including those in nonmetropolitan areas of the state;

(E) The department shall be a full department co-equal with all other major clinical departments and headed by a qualified experienced family practitioner serving as chairperson of the department of family practice and director of the family practice residency program.

Funds appropriated by the general assembly in support of family practice programs shall not be disbursed until the chancellor of higher education has certified that the intent and requirements of this section are being met.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.18, HB 139, §1, eff. 4/29/2011.

Effective Date: 10-09-1974; 2007 HB2 05-15-2007