Bridging the gaps between departments on community and family medicine: the Calgary experience.

Current emphasis on innovation in primary care has revealed conflicts between generalist clinicians and professionals in community medicine. Several problems are now evident in the combination of community medicine and family medicine. Three elements of a planned institutional approach to overcome problems in primary health care education at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, are discussed: the introduction of an integrated curriculum, de-emphasis of departments, and a center for ambulatory care.