University of Virginia Health System

A major focus of the Department involves the practice and teaching of Information Mastery, a physician-friendly method of applying evidence-based medicine in every day practice.

One of our faculty members, Dr. David Slawson, is a founder of this methodology and is internationally known for his work. All of our faculty are well-versed in information mastery and integrate it into classroom and clinical teaching.

Another focus of the Program is our Behavioral medicine teaching, accomplished by the Collaborative Care model. Collaborative Care means that a behavioralist accompanies, or is on call for, physicians as they see their patients in the Family Practice Center. In this way the care of the three arenas, body, mind and spirit, can be integrated immediately, in the presence of, and with the cooperation of the patient. Our entire department is committed to the idea of training healers as well as solid practitioners of scientific medicine.

Other wonderful aspects of our residency also deserve mention. Not only do we spend time rotating with obstetricians, we also practice our own obstetrics in house on the Family Medicine service. Our residents are readily accepted and treated as equals on the services to which they rotate through during residency as well. In fact, on the Medicine Service, our second-year residents are assigned upper level resident positions and supervise PGY1 residents. This is almost unheard of in a University Hospital and allows our residents to take advantage of the many rich educational opportunities available here.

Another element that is unique to our program is the "hybrid nature" of the curriculum. While many rotations take place at the University of Virginia Hospital, we also have a strong emphasis on, and have required curricular elements in, rural medicine. You will find that many of our resident rotations take place in the offices of physicians in the community rather than at the University of Virginia Hospital. This allows our residents to experience the "real world feel" that is prevalent in many community programs. 

A growing program within UVa's Family Medicine Residency is the International Family Medicine Clinic (IFMC). Refugee families from across the globe are resettled to Charlottesville by the International Rescue Committee. Interested residents may incorporate these patients into their continuity clinics throughout residency. There's also a one-month elective that includes clinical sessions in the IFMC, and opportunities to attend the UVa Traveler's Clinic and the Refugee Clinic at the Charlottesville/Albermarle Health Department. Working across language and cultural barriers with patients who have never experienced western health care brings intrigue to the daily routine of residency.

Geographically, UVA is set in a smaller city with a country feel, yet it is also a major tertiary care center serving much of central and south/southwest Virginia, providing exposure to plenty of "bread and butter" medicine, with a steady stream of "zebra" pathology transferred in from outlying communities. We have patients from all socioeconomic levels, rural, suburban, and urban environments, as well as a wide variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This diversity allows for a rich clinical experience in our practice and helps prepare you to better care for a wide variety of patients.

To learn more about Charlottesville and view some photos of our area, visit the City's web site. Some things to do/ see/ eat in Charlottesville can also be found on our attractions page.

In addition to the strong curriculum, our Program has a distinguished record of graduating excellent family doctors and has a 100% pass rate on Board examinations. The Program also has a record of successfully placing residents in a variety of settings, including rural communities, urban areas, suburban private practice, Community Health Centers, academic sites, and fellowship programs. Recent graduates have entered practices in Alaska, Guam, and Nepal, as well as less exotic locations in the Charlottesville area. As a program that stresses diversity, fosters residents' professional interests, reinforces life-long learning, and pursues excellence, we hope to ensure a steady stream of outstanding family physicians to provide care for future populations.

To all of this add in the vitality and culture of the university itself, and it is easy to see why we here all agree that the UVA Family Medicine Residency brings together the best of many worlds, and leaves our residents prepared to excel in whatever practice setting they choose.

Thank you for visiting the web site of the
University of Virginia Family Medicine Residency Program. 

If you need additional information, do not hesitate to e-mail or call:
Candice Wills
Family Medicine Residency Coordinator
(434) 243-6638 ~ e-mail: cpw4d@virginia.edu 

 or contact the Hospital's GME office.