Residency program overview

The specialty of family medicine

  • Family medicine is the medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and the family.
  • It integrates the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences. Its scope encompasses all ages, both genders, each organ system and every disease entity.
  • The family medicine physician serves as the patient's and the family's advocate in all health-related matters, including the appropriate use of consulting and community resources.
  • Family medicine is the most demanding, rewarding, energizing, gratifying specialty in medicine.
  • It is the career of the future in medicine.
  • Family medicine has and will continue to lead the reform to develop appropriate health care for our country.
  • The opportunities for you as a family physician are as great as your determination and imagination.
Dr. Camille Dunkley at the Center for Family Medicine
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Family Medicine Residency Program in Springfield

  • We are established!
  • We have educated more than 350 family physicians since 1975!
  • We are part of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, and have many benefits due to our relationship with the medical school.
  • We are recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in innovative medical education.
  • We have been recognized consistently for our success in attracting medical students to the specialty of Family Medicine.
  • Our clinic is Patient Center Medical Home (PCMH) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing clinical educational opportunities to our residents for a diverse population of patients in need.

Our goals and objectives

  • Emphasize continuity of care and accessibility for patients through a faculty-based practice model.
  • Scholarly activity. All residents are supported to accomplish publications and/or presentations at state or national conferences. The program uses FPIN to assist residents in publications.
  • Remain competitive in the marketplace by providing quality care.
  • Offer comprehensive care, including obstetrics and geriatrics.
  • Enhance procedural skills with regular rotation through the Family Medicine Procedure Clinic as well as participation in hands-on procedural workshops.
  • Provide a strong faculty mentor program for ongoing formative feedback and evaluation.
  • Enhance self-directed learning skills.
  • Provide comprehensive longitudinal and rotational components of the curriculum including the choice of a Specialty OB Track System.
  • Cultivate residents’ ability to critically appraise information, i.e., critical thinking, as well as providing support and encouragement for research and scholarly activity.
  • We provide an early needs assessment of each resident in order to develop a more meaningful individualized curriculum plan.
  • Prepare residents for practice in an evolutionary electronic health care environment including integration of medical informatics, chronic disease management and interdisciplinary care. As part of the "Hub of Learning," the program exposes medical students, physician assistants and other learners to family and community medicine.
  • Residents will be expected to develop an understanding of the ethical and intellectual underpinnings of family medicine which would involve a study of the ethical basis of medical practice, clinical epidemiology and evidence-based medicine.
  • We provide rural/community medicine exposure for all residents through rotational experience with the local community health center, public health department, rural inpatient, and a variety of residency electives.
  • We involve residents in exposure to medical students, physician assistants and other learners to family and community medicine and be involved with post-residency continuing medical education.

Testimonials

As a former resident at SIU center for family medicine I can honestly say the facility and environment were wonderful. Dr. Mirocha specifically was a skilled educator who went out of her way to make the residents feel comfortable. She taught with humility and support. She was always keenly aware of the resident's strength and weaknesses and appropriately helped each resident develop in what she determined was the most optimal fashion. Dr. Mirocha really was quite skillful in this regard and now, as a hospitalist, I attempted to treat my learners in a similar fashion.

Stephen Tamang, MD

I am grateful to have trained at SIU Family Medicine in Springfield as it established a solid foundation for my career going forward. Attending physicians were always open to discuss cases in a stress free environment. The autonomy gave me confidence and I continue to use every ounce of my training in clinical practice today. The learning environment was kind, nurturing and appropriately challenging.

I loved how events were planned when we weren't working. My favorite memory was boating on lake Springfield with Dr. Brenham and water-skiing with Dr. Gleason. He was a real pro! The 'murder mystery' luncheon and haunted house hay ride was a lot of fun too!

Memorial Medical Center and the Center for Family Medicine facilities were ultramodern and prepared me well for future practice. I consider myself fortunate to have trained at this outstanding program!

Since graduation I returned to Washington DC to be close to family. From 2020 to present, I have been working at an FQHC which continues to be gratifying. I have also started a private practice with a nurse practitioner in Silver Spring, Maryland.

John Roxborough, MD
 

As someone with zero ties to the Midwest, I still remember the thoughts that had gone through my mind when I found out I was going to be in Springfield, IL for my residency training on match day 2017.

Bear in mind, I was a Canadian who grew up in Hong Kong and went to school in New York City. St. Louis, Missouri seemed like a "tiny" little city at the time. Springfield, Illinois? Haha forget about it, give me a second to look at my map again.

SIU Springfield not only welcomed this misfit with open arms, but provided me with the academic, social, and emotional support for me to thrive. In the 3 years I was there, I managed to gain clinical experience and education to become a well trained physician; I managed to grow up and picked up just a dabble of additional wisdom and maturity. Most importantly, I built a cherished bond with my colleagues whom I will call friends the rest of my life.

Internship year was a struggle, but thankfully I had faculty mentors who were able to help me navigate through my difficulties. I found my stride during my 2nd year of residency and haven't looked back since. Later on, I matched into a Sports Medicine Fellowship at our sister campus, SIU Quincy, who are just as remarkable in their own right so of course I have to give them a shout out too!

Since graduation, I have moved back to the Pacific Northwest in Canada where I have established my own practice. Make no mistake, I could not have done it without some amazing people around me. To this day, I am still keeping in regular contact with my mentors and colleagues.

It's amazing how time and exposure can change your perspective. SIU Springfield holds a special place in my heart and I couldn't have imagined training and graduating anywhere else.

Jason Hui, DO