Our Recipe to Attract and Retain Family Medicine Bound Students

01-29-2018 12:02

The Department of Family Medicine and Population Health at Virginia Commonwealth University embarked on the Family Medicine Scholars Training and Admissions Track (fmSTAT) in 2011. fmSTAT is designed to select and retain 8-10 family medicine-bound students each academic year. First, we identify medical school applicants with high interest and likelihood of pursuing careers in family medicine during the admissions process and work with the admissions office to (1) DUALLY ADMIT them to VCU and our program. The other five components of fmSTAT include: (2) SUPPORT—peer support spanning all 4 years, a structured 1:1 mentorship with a family physician focused on the mentees’ personal and professional growth from the start, and social/network opportunities; (3) CONTENT—advanced family medicine curriculum delivered (two retreats and two seminars per year); (4) EXPERIENCES—intentional family medicine clinical placements, additional electives, a scholarly project); (5) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT—deliberately involving fmScholars in leadership and scholarship at local and national levels; and (6) FINANCIAL SUPPORT—long term goal to raise enough scholarship support and structure disbursement to attract and retain enrollees, and defray their tuition costs. Even in the absence of monetary support, we have a 64% rate of fmSTAT matriculants matching into family medicine residencies, and a 78% rate matching into primary care in our two graduating cohorts.

Author(s):Judy Gary, MEd, Carolyn Peel, MD, Sydney Davis, M4
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