Background
The UNM Family Medicine Residency was established in 1973 to help address critical physician shortages throughout New Mexico. The UNM residency balances urban, tertiary care training with a broad range of experiences in rural and medically underserved areas. Located in Albuquerque, the UNM program has placed over 50% of its graduates into New Mexico practices.
While the UNM program partially addressed primary care physician shortages, many areas of the state struggle to recruit and retain physicians to practice in their communities. The UNM Department of Family & Community Medicine worked with communities, the NM Department of Health, state legislators and others to expand and decentralize the family practice residency experience, and create other interventions to address these needs.
Starting with month long rural rotations supported by HRSA grants, the program obtained legislative support and accreditation to double the size of the family practice residency. The expansion allowed training in affiliated “1+2” family practice residencies in Roswell, and Santa Fe and Las Cruces. The first year of training is at UNM, with the second and third year concentrated in the program sites. The Las Cruces is now an accredited 3-year program. See UNM Affiliated Programs for more information about these residencies. |
