The Return of an 'Old Friend'

Martin Quan, MD

Editor-in-Chief

As Editor-in-Chief of Family Practice Recertification (FPR), it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the launch of the online version of what is, for many of you, an “old friend.”

FPR was originally devised in 1977, not long after the first recertification examination administered by the American Board of Family Practice (ABFP). The journal stemmed directly from an analysis conducted by its founding publisher, J. Bradley MacKimm, which revealed the need for a publication designed specifically to help family physicians meet the challenge of periodic recertification and stay abreast of an ever-expanding body of medical knowledge. The inaugural issue of the journal was published in April 1979 after Paul Young, MD — then Professor and Department Chair of Family Practice at the University of Nebraska who later went on to become Executive Director of ABFP in 1990 — was recruited as its first Editor.

Dr. Young retired as Editor of FPR in 1986 and was replaced by Paul Dishart, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh until it was my privilege to become the journal’s third Editor-in-Chief in 1997. Although the appearance and format of the journal has evolved over the years, it has never wavered from its original mission developed by Young and his editorial board: To present articles that are designed to enable readers to apply the most up-to-date information to their practices, as well as improve the performance and competence of family physicians. Prior to the journal’s hiatus that began in 2009, a number of popular and innovative features were developed, including Consultant’s Corner, Radiology Rounds, and Case Studies in Dermatology. I couldn’t be happier to announce that not only are all 3 of those features back again, but a timely fourth feature called FPR Journal Club has also been added.

Furthermore, all three of the original features editors have returned to their posts and are raring to go! Daniel Stulberg, MD, FAAFP, Professor of Family Medicine at the University of New Mexico with special expertise in office dermatology, will once again be honing the skills of FPR readers in recognizing and diagnosing common yet important skin disorders. Just as he has done for UCLA medical students — including myself — over more than 4 decades James D. Collins, MD, Professor of Radiological Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, will be sharing his treasure trove of images and the clinical pearls he has accumulated throughout his long and distinguished teaching career. Finally, after a little arm-twisting of its series editor, Consultant’s Corner is returning to provide readers with expert consultants’ insights and management recommendations pertaining to common problems and challenges in primary care settings.

The new kid on the block, FPR Journal Club, will be produced and edited by Frank J. Domino, MD, Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Editor of the popular point-of-care resource, 5-Minute Clinical Consult. As a nationally-recognized authority on evidence-based medicine, Dr. Domino will be providing monthly analyses on cutting-edge articles from the medical literature that are relevant to practicing family physicians.

Rest assured that FPR will continue to evolve in order to better meet the needs of its readers. For those of you who are new to FPR, I give a warm welcome, and for those of you who have patiently awaited the journal’s return, I give a warm welcome back!

Martin Quan, MD

Editor-in-Chief

Martin Quan, MD, is Professor of Clinical Family Medicine and Director of the Office of Continuing Medical Education at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is also a member of the Education Advisory Board and consultant to the Committee on Continued Professional Development of the California Academy of Family Physicians and a member of the Kidney Learning System Advisory Board of the National Kidney Foundation. In the past, Quan has served as Program Director of the UCLA Family Practice Residency Program, Co-Director of the UCLA Pre-Doctoral Program in Family Practice, Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Cornerstone, and Vice Chair of the Residency Review Committee in Family Practice for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).