In addition to providing programs suchas the New Pathway, the Medical School employs alarge number of general practitioners asprofessors.

Ronan, also an instructor in pediatrics, saysthese professors are not as visible to students asthey should be. "Students need more exposure toprimary care people in academic and communitysettings," he says.

Craig S. Vinch, a fourth year student who hasbeen matched in an internal medicine residency atBeth Israel, concurs.

"We're exposed to many primary care doctors inthe Harvard system, but they don't come in tolecture during the first two years," he says. "Idon't think that the contact we have with themright now tells us much about the life of aprimary care doctor. Seeing primary carephysicians that are successful and not bankrupt isnecessary."

Third, all students must spend twomonths in an ambulatory car clerkship. The MedicalSchool has created a new department of ambulatorycare and prevention. They have hired Dr. ThomasInui, a top primary care physician, to head thedepartment.

Ronan says much of the future of primary careat Harvard rests on Inui's leadership.

"Everything is in place for more students toenter primary care," says Ronan. While he claimsthat Harvard has "the richest primary care systemand opportunities in the country," he adds that"we have not maximized community-basedexperiences."

He refutes Harvard's reputation as a specialtyand academic medicine school, saying "there is aconsensus at the medical school that we mustincrease generalist physician outcome.

Harvard may be behind in offering primary carincentives, but it is on the verge to be wayahead."

Currently, Boston University Medical School ispursuing its goal for an even balance among theirstudents between generalists and specialists.

The University employs sixty family physicianson its faculty and has received grants to changethe curriculum and support students to go intoprimary care. Boston University Medical Schoolalso maintains close relationships withneighborhood health centers to develop facultyeducation.

Tufts Medical School has recently voted tocreate a department of family medicine. No otherBoston schools currently have departments ingeneral medicine, according to McCahan.

In general, medical schools areaddressing the problem and encouraging studentstowards primary care. But according to students,faculty and administrators, support needs to comeat many different levels.

"We can't do it alone. A lot of factorsdiscourage students that are not in a medicalschools' control," McCahan says.

Ronan thinks that the mindset of society hascontributed greatly to the dearth of generalists."The culture itself has devalued clinical care,"he says.