Third-Year Students Focus on Family Medicine at Reception

By Liz Caldwell

 
G. Richard Smith, M.D., dean of the UAMS College of Medicine hosted a reception for third year students to focus on family medicine.

Daniel Knight, M.D., spoke to students at the reception on behalf of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.

Smith hosted the reception for all third-year students at Trio’s Restaurant in Little Rock on March 5, and along with several UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine faculty members they talked to students and answered plenty of questions.

Smith stressed the importance of primary care with the patient-centered medical home care model.

“Our students need to strongly consider primary care and specifically family medicine, because that’s where the future is,” Smith said. “The leader of the team and the one who will have the greatest relationship with the patient will be the family physician.”

Arkansas is in need of family doctors. There is already a shortage, and it is increasing due to more people being insured through the Affordable Care Act. Family physicians already are receiving enhanced income and additional incentives for transforming practices to patient-centered medical home and achieving better outcomes.

Family physicians from the faculty and graduates of the program talked with the students about their practices and careers and how it could be tailored to suit specific interests. They also shared beneficial insights such as the work-life balance that a family medicine physician can enjoy.

Smith invited all third-year students to attend since they will be choosing a specialty and will start applying for residency programs within the year. It was a chance for students to not only get to have one-on-one conversations with the dean and faculty members, but also for them to hear how primary care and family medicine specialties are even more vital in the future of health care.