Family violence education in medical school-based residency programs--Virginia, 1995.

In the United States, family violence (e.g., intimate partner violence, child abuse, and elder abuse) is a well-documented social and public health problem that physicians are uniquely positioned to play a crucial role in addressing. However, few schools of medicine or residency training programs provide substantial attention to family violence in their curricula. To assess the status of graduate medical education regarding family violence at Virginia's three medical schools (eastern Virginia Medical School [EVMS], Medical College of Virginia [MCV], and the University of Virginia [UVA]), the Task Force on Violence Education and Awareness for Physicians, established by the Virginia Commission on Family Violence, conducted a survey of these medical schools in 1995. This report summarizes the results of the survey, which identified variations in the formal programs to address family violence at these schools.