Academic Programs Catalog

College of Osteopathic Medicine

Department of Family and Community Medicine

Michael Burry, Chairperson

Family medicine is medical care provided by a primary care physician who becomes a partner with all family members to help them understand the ways to achieve comprehensive healthcare. This approach to medical care embraces the concept of, and concern for, the whole patient and the impact of the environment on patient health.  A primary care physician becomes a partner with all family members.  This approach to medical practice embraces the concept of, and concern for, the whole patient and the impact of the patient’s environment upon health.

This practitioner stresses health maintenance, diagnoses illness, undertakes treatment, institutes short- and long-term follow-up care, and makes appropriate referrals to other health care providers.

The goal of family medicine is to develop a competent practitioner who can provide total medical care.  The curriculum is built on the philosophy of early and continued exposure to both the clinical and didactic aspects of medicine through reinforcement and integration of classroom learning to clinical practice.  Student physicians are introduced to a variety of health care settings through clinical training programs designed to provide them with a broad base of skills required to function in the field of family medicine.

The department, a unit within the College of Osteopathic Medicine, is committed to conducting research in both clinical and medical educational settings.  Departmental research is broad-based and support for student research is an integral part of the departmental mission.