Family Medicine

Get involved in the Family Medicine Interest Group, but please remember to put your academic responsibilities first. It is very easy to become over committed with special interest activities.

Stop by and introduce yourself to the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Even if you change your mind down the road, you are welcome in the office and we would like to be involved in your professional development at Feinberg.

Scholarly productivity is definitely important, but this does not mean that bench research is required part of your portfolio. Community-engaged research, quality improvement experience, team science scholarship, translational research and educational scholarship would showcase your commitment to scholarly pursuits.

This question is best answered in an individual advising session.

This question is also best answered in an individual advising session. It is not required, but students may find it helpful in their decision-making processes.

It is best to schedule an appointment for academic planning. Recommendations will be personalized to the student’s interests and career goals.

Students should have at least one Family Medicine letter of recommendation. If the student has not rotated in a family site during their Primary Care rotation, then they should do a Family Medicine elective in July or August to obtain a letter of recommendation.

There is no specific time off necessary, just time to accommodate interviews in November to January. I would not worry about early versus late interview placements; programs have ways of tracking all applicants throughout the season.

Yes. At a minimum, students should have one Family Medicine letter of recommendation.

I recommend that students ask faculty members for letters of recommendation who they have worked with clinically and have a good relationship. This personal connection may help them stand out from those that are written from a personal statement and academic history. It is also okay for students to add a quantifier into the request for a letter of recommendation. For example: "Dr. Ryan, would you be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation for me?" If there is any hesitation, ask another faculty member for a letter of support.

Not necessarily. Focus on the clinical experience and relationship to a faculty member over academic rank.

A chairman’s letter is not required but is an option if students wish to have one for their application. For students who wish to have a chairman’s letter, they must submit their personal statement, CV and access to their academic history at Feinberg in advance. After these documents are submitted, the student will need to set up an interview with the chair. The chair will write a letter based on the documents submitted and the interview.

During the winter of the M3 year, students should attend specialty sessions sponsored by the Department of Family Medicine for the opportunity to learn more about the specialty as well as to meet attendings and residents in the field.