Rural Family Medicine with Obstetrics Fellowship
The Rural Family Medicine with Obstetrics Fellowship is a one-year experience designed for family medicine physicians who plan to work in a rural setting. The program was established in 1989 and was the first of its kind in the U.S. It is specifically designed to offer fellows the opportunity to build on their prior residency training and enhance both their cognitive and technical skills in preparation for rural practice. The structure of the curriculum is flexible enough to cater to individual needs. We welcome both recent residency graduates and physicians with practice experience.
The fellowship does not lead to additional board certification or a Certificate of Added Qualification. It does provide needed training and experience for FPs who plan to care for a rural population with limited access to health care services. We emphasize expanded scope obstetrics including cesarean sections.
We believe every fellow who completes this program will achieve the confidence and competence needed to be successful practicing family medicine in a rural community.
Why does Tacoma Family Medicine offer a Rural Fellowship?
Tacoma Family Medicine (TFM) is a community-based family medicine residency affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine. TFM is nationally recognized for training residents in preparation for rural or urban underserved practices.
Although the program itself is not located in a rural area, TFM is uniquely qualified to offer this fellowship for the following reasons:
- We are a community-based program with a 10/8/8 residency (2 interns from the Omak Rural Training Program) and six person fellowship. MultiCare Obstetrics & Gynecology Associates is a part of Tacoma Family Medicine, and provides direct teaching in low risk, high risk, and surgical obstetrics. The program also has strong support from community OB/Gyns and other specialists, allowing intensive family medicine training.
- Tacoma General Hospital and Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital serve as two major referral centers for the surrounding areas (including rural communities) with services including Perinatology Special Care Unit, Neonatal ICU, Pediatric ICU, Pediatric ER, Neurosurgery and Cardiothoracic surgery units, and regional trauma care.
- TFM has a strong commitment toward maintaining its mission of training residents and fellows for rural practice. Based on our 2005 survey, 66% of our fellowship graduates are practicing in communities <20,000. 13% are in residency faculty positions teaching family medicine residents in larger communities. 74% continue to provide obstetric care, with 47% performing primary Cesarean sections and an additional 11% performing first assists.
- TFM has a strong faculty with extensive rural practice experience.