1 Hunterdon Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics, New York University College of Medicine
2 Hunterdon Medical Center and Department of Psychiatry, New York University College of Medicine
A medical care program for a rural community has been described. A group of specialists operate in a consultative and supportive role to the general practitioner. His status and integrity are maintained in a noncompetitive relationship. It is believed that this setting provides a structure for effective postgraduate education on a continuing basis. A collaborative relationship between pediatrics and child psychiatry within this same framework is utilized for indoctrination of family physicians in principles of mental health, largely by working individually around specific case material. Two cases of severe constipation referred by the same family physician are presented. His participation in the management of the first case appeared to have resulted in a degree of understanding of the problem which enabled him to manage the second case, 1 year later, in an unusually skillful and understanding fashion.