Preparing the Next Generation of Physicians: Benjamin Gallagher on Leading Yale’s Primary Care Clerkship

Benjamin Gallagher, MD: I’m really passionate about primary care and making sure patients have access to high-quality care. A big part of that is recruiting talented future physicians into the field, and that process begins during medical school. The experiences students have during their primary care clerkship and other early clinical training can shape how they think about their careers. Because of that, it’s important that students have a high-quality and memorable experience during this rotation—one that shows them what primary care looks like in practice and potentially inspires them to pursue that path themselves.

Gallagher: One of the core ideas behind that pairing is the biopsychosocial model of health.

Medical conditions obviously have biological causes, but they’re also shaped by psychological and social factors. In primary care, mental health conditions come up frequently—primary care physicians are the most common prescribers of antidepressants—and patients with serious mental illness often have higher rates of chronic medical conditions. Understanding those connections helps future physicians see the full picture of a patient’s health rather than focusing on just one aspect of care.

Gallagher: This clerkship gives students their most substantial exposure to ambulatory medicine and preventive care. Many of the fundamentals of medicine—managing chronic diseases, thinking about vaccines and screening, and helping patients navigate long-term care—are things they encounter here in ways they may not elsewhere in training. It’s also where they begin to see how care unfolds over time. Instead of solving every issue in a single visit, physicians often work with patients over months or years, which is a very different way of thinking about medical care.

Gallagher: One goal is to increase engagement from physicians across the health system in teaching students during the clerkship. It’s important that students have opportunities to actively participate in patient care rather than simply observe. I’d also like to broaden the range of clinical settings where students learn. Many specialties—such as HIV care or sickle cell clinics—operate largely in outpatient settings and involve long-term relationships with patients. Bringing students into those environments could expand their exposure and help them see how the principles of primary care apply across many areas of medicine.