Beginning Your Story in Family Medicine at the U of M

U of M, Class of 2018

The following message is from University of Minnesota Family Medicine and Community Health department head Macaran Baird, MD, MS, to our incoming class of residents, the class of 2018. 

This July will be the start of my fourteenth year leading this department. It's been an incredible journey.

Every day I have the privilege of working alongside talented, dedicated colleagues, such as yourselves, who truly believe that the specialty of family medicine can transform our nation's healthcare system.
 

And, each year, I am encouraged by the residents that join our ranks. I'm encouraged by your passion, by your dedication, by your talent. 



It's no secret that family medicine is NOT for the faint of heart. You're entering residency at a time when the landscape of healthcare is not only challenging but ever changing—sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. You chose this field not because it would be easy, but because you care—you care about people, you care about relationships, you care about transformation. 


Some of you may already know this, but we were among the first family medicine departments and residencies in the nation. We believed then, as we believe now, that caring for the whole person, across the lifespan, is preventive medicine at its best.

Each of our eight residency programs—Duluth, Mankato, Methodist, North Memorial, St. Cloud, St. John's, St. Joseph's, University of Minnesota Medical Center—shares in the commitment to full spectrum family medicine training. Each program will prepare you to provide comprehensive, personalized care for the whole person in ANY setting: urban, rural, global. But each program is also distinguished by its community, unique feel, and curricular strengths. 


You are part of your residency program, but you are also part of a greater whole. You are part of this department, part of this University. You’re part of our mission to transform and renew family medicine through education, research, and patient care.  



This is an exciting time to be joining our ranks. Why? Because, we're energized, we're excited. We want to see reform in payment models. We want to see reform in healthcare delivery. We want to knock down barriers to care. We have a vision for family medicine—a vision for change, for transformation. We want to make individuals healthier, families healthier, communities healthier. This fall, we'll be sharing more about that vision, and we couldn't be happier to have you on our team. 


Our desire, though, is that you’re an advocate for family medicine beyond the walls of your clinic, this department, this institution. Family medicine is in the fight of its life. I would encourage you to get involved in professional organizations, both on the local and national level; be part of a national movement for change. Get connected to organizations like Primary Care Progress, Family Medicine for America’s Health, MAFP, AAFP, and STFM.

Stand up for your patients. Stand up for patients who have no one standing up for them. Stand up for your training. Stand up for your future practice. Stand up for our specialty. In doing so, remember you’re a professional and a representative of this department, this University. You’re accountable for your behavior, your words, your actions.

Residency is the start of a new chapter in your lives. These next three years will be challenging, rewarding, and fun. As a University of Minnesota alum, I can tell you that your time here will be a great way to begin your story in family medicine.

I look forward to watching your stories unfold and am so glad that you became part of our story as well.

U of M Family Medicine and Community Health
department head Macaran Baird, MD, MS