I am in Kansas City learning with 1000 other family medicine academic physicians how to LEAD family medicine residency programs.  It is refreshing to hear new educational curriculum: how family physicians can meet the needs of our current patients.  Because I have taught at three medical schools over 25 years this meeting allows for reconnecting with cherished friends at this meeting.

University of Nevada Reno Family Medicine Residency Program has existed for over 30 years.  We currently mentor 28 family medicine residents over three years and have two one-year fellowships:  one wilderness medicine fellow and 2 sports medicine fellows.

In the US, there are 745 family medicine residency programs who graduate 5,000 family physicians a year.

On average, resident physicians learn over 3 years on HOW to be a family physician. Each resident physician sees over 1600 physicians (both in the hospital and the office) and do 150 telehealth visits before graduation.  There are also requirements for residents to see nursing home patients and do home visits.

Family physicians are diverse with the goal being that the physicians look like the patients:

47% white

28% Asian

10% Hispanic

9 % Black

6% Others

The personal care of patients is our core goal.  Family physicians want to care for patients longitudinally, over time.  My friend has a license plate holder that reads “Everyone deserves a family physician.”  I could not agree more.