Top 10 Honor

April 27, 2007 – Chicago, IL    The University of Minnesota Medical School was among the top ten medical schools honored by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) today at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Conference held in Chicago.  The AAFP awards recognized schools that, during a three-year period, graduated the greatest percentage of students who chose family medicine.   During that time frame, almost 17 percent of the U of MN medical school graduates selected family practice residencies.  Of those, 55 percent had started their medical studies on the Duluth Campus where the focus is on encouraging students to become family or primary care physicians working in rural and Native American communities. 

Reflecting the significant percentage of family practice residents who started their studies in Duluth, Gary Davis Ph.D., interim senior associate dean of the Duluth campus, thanked faculty, staff and students. “Your support is essential for our success in educating students in family medicine who will practice in rural Minnesota.  The Duluth Medical School's success in achieving its primary mission is critical to the outcomes that result in awards such as this.  I hope you all will feel some sense of pride in this achievement.”

 “We are very proud to be recognized for our success in educating family medicine physicians,” said University of Minnesota Medical School Dean Deborah E. Powell, M.D. “The education of primary care physicians is one of our core values and is the particular mission of our Duluth campus."

Macaran A. Baird, MD, MS and Head, Family Medicine and Community Health on the Twin Cities Campus accepted the award on behalf of the Medical School at the conference.

Related links:
University of Minnesota Medical School
American Academy of Family Physicians
Read the story of one Duluth student who plans to enter family practice