Training the next generation of family physicians locally will positively impact the health of our community and the future of our primary care workforce.
Family Medicine Residency Program Director Karl Dietrich, MD, MPHCheshire Medical Center, a Dartmouth Health member, received accreditation for its Family Medicine Residency program from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) Residency Review Committee on Feb. 1, 2023.
ACGME is a private, non-profit, professional organization responsible for the accreditation of approximately 12,000 residency and fellowship programs and the approximately 865 institutions that sponsor these programs in the United States. It sets standards for graduate medical education programs and the institutions that sponsor them in the United States.
“Accreditation marks a significant milestone and green light for this program, and I am thrilled we achieved this 2 months ahead of schedule,” said Chief Medical Officer Cherie Holmes, MD, MSc, who also serves as the Designated Institutional Official for Cheshire’s Graduate Medical Education. “The work we have done thus far has established a strong foundation for a program that will have far-reaching and long-lasting positive health outcomes and workforce sustainability for our community. This program is unique for its rural location and marks the first residency training program sponsored by Cheshire Medical Center.”
The opportunity to add the Family Medicine Residency program at Cheshire comes at a critical time when community health needs require the training of more family physicians. Currently, only 2 percent of residency training occurs in rural areas. Training physicians in rural areas increases the likelihood that they will practice in a rural community.
“Training the next generation of family physicians locally will positively impact the health of our community and the future of our primary care workforce,” said Family Medicine Residency Program Director Karl Dietrich, MD, MPH. “Receiving accreditation from ACGME means that our program follows best practices, research, and advancements across the continuum of medical education.”
The Family Medicine Residency program will be based at Cheshire's West Campus at 62 Maple Avenue in Keene, where the Residency’s new outpatient clinic, Family and Community Care, is nearing completion for August 2023. Family Medicine Residency faculty physicians and residents will provide full-spectrum care for their patients there and in the Medical Center. In addition to its educational mission, Family and Community Care will expand Cheshire’s primary care access to more patients.
Cheshire’s program will welcome its first 6 residents in July 2024 for a total of 18 residents by the summer of 2026. Residents will be the primary trainees in most clinical settings and will learn from the expertise of excellent faculty and clinicians both in family medicine and in multiple specialty services. The residents will add a new dimension to care and a diverse set of knowledge and experiences as they continue their training and prepare to become independent providers.
To become a family physician, students must first complete medical school, earning a degree as a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). After earning a degree, aspiring family physicians need to complete a 3-year residency in family medicine, during which they continue their clinical education under a training license, diagnosing and treating patients under the guidance of established faculty doctors. Upon completing of the 3-year residency program, applicants are able to work as family physicians without supervision.
For more information about The Cheshire’s Family Medicine Residency, visit cheshiremed.org/residency.