The accelerated development of Health Maintenance Organizations on a broad scale is being encouraged as a method of improving and rationalizing services in the American health care system. Prepaid group practice plans can also serve as an important resource for training future primary care physicians. They provide an organizational setting in which interns and residents can be trained in the care of ambulatory patients, senior physicians who can serve as role models during training years, and a mode of practice to which physicians in training might aspire. Information is presented here on the current use of the large PPGP's for training medical students and housestaff, and the reasons for the limited involvement of these Plans in educational activities. The initial modest efforts of one university sponsored PPGP (Harvard Community Health Plan) are presented as an indication of some of the approaches being explored. A number of obstacles must be overcome if these efforts are to be expanded and the full potential of PPGP's in the education of future physicians to be realized.