Medical education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels is based on the premise that students and residents learn best by participating, under supervision, in the day-to-day care of patients. Historically, most of this clinical education has taken place on the inpatient services of teaching hospitals. Although a few visionary medical educators have argued that inpatient training should be complemented by a meaningful education in ambulatory care, the movement to increase the ambulatory care component of training grew little in the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, some senior faculty members have observed that there was more education in ambulatory care . . .