January 17, 2017

The OHSU School of Medicine has been named exemplary, as compared to other U.S. medical schools, for graduating a high percentage of students who intend to pursue a career in family medicine. The recognition comes from the American Academy of Family Physicians and is at least the fifth time OHSU has been named for this contribution.

AAFP reported that 15.8 percent of OHSU's M.D. graduates in 2015 entered an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited family medicine residency program, making OHSU the ninth allopathic school in the nation in graduation rate of family physicians. The data came out of a study published in October 2016 in the journal Family Medicine that illuminates the critical need for medical schools to train a physician workforce that meets the health care needs of every American.

During the 2015 medical student "match," 56 OHSU students, or 44 percent of those pursuing residency training, chose a residency in primary care (internal medicine, family medicine or pediatrics). Some of those students are likely to go on to sub-specialize, meaning not all will end up practicing primary care, but nevertheless, the trend bodes well for ramping up to meet demand for primary care providers.

"As we know, it can be difficult to predict a graduate's exact future, particularly in regard to whether they will provide primary care as physicians in a number of specialties that are able to do so," said John Meigs, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., AAFP president, in his notification letter to the Dean's office. "However, we can be confident that the graduation rate of family medicine residents from your medical school is a reliable marker of graduates who will go on to provide this vital care and help fill the greatest need of our country's physician workforce, as noted by multiple studies."

The University of Minnesota Medical School was the highest-achieving medical school as recognized by the AAFP, with 19 percent of its graduates entering family medicine residency programs. Read the AAFP announcement to see the full list of the top 21 family medicine-producing schools in 2015.