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North Dakota Medical School Recognized for Producing the Most Family Practice Physicians
The American Academy of Family Physicians has ranked the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences as the top medical school in the country for graduating family medicine physicians, the Associated Press reports. According to a release, more than 20 percent of the university's medical school graduates enter an accredited family medicine residency program, compared with just 7.4 percent of medical students nationwide. School officials attribute the students' interest in family medicine to several career-track programs, including the Rural Opportunities in Medical Education (ROME) program, which places third-year medical students in a seven-month rotation in rural communities throughout the state. According to the university, 60 percent of students who participate in the ROME program enter primary care residency programs, compared with 36 percent of students who do not participate in the program. Further fostering interest in family practice is the school's Students/Resident Experiences and Rotations in Community Health program, which allows students enrolled in its health profession track to spend one month as part of an interdisciplinary care team in rural North Dakota communities. According to the medical school's executive dean, the top ranking recognizes the university's efforts to "address North Dakota's need for physicians and other health care workers, especially those in the field of family medicine." (KXNet.com/AP, 6/14/09; University of North Dakota release, 6/9/09)