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Family Medicine, Then & Now

The Department of Family Medicine was established in 1970 by the governor and General Assembly of the commonwealth of Virginia and charged with the mission to prepare competent family physicians for the people of Virginia and contribute to the knowledge that improves the quality of care they receive. Family medicine residencies have been created within existing practices in rural, suburban and urban areas, in partnership with some of the best health systems in the region. As of June 2003, the VCU affiliated family medicine residencies have graduated 1,026 physicians, 62 percent of whom are practicing in Virginia, and 30 percent of these in non-metropolitan areas — one of the best records in the nation. With the addition of VCU students who trained in family medicine elsewhere and came back to Virginia to practice, the Department of Family Medicine has provided over 700 family doctors who serve an estimated 1.5 million Virginians.