University of Michigan. Department of Family Medicine.

The University of Michigan Department of Family Medicine was founded as the Department of Family Practice in 1978. The first chair was Dr. Terence C. Davies. The department was established to improve the quality of primary health care through educating graduate students and conducting research.

The residency program is three years in duration. The residents work at the family practice centers operated by the department where they see patients and work as part of a team of residents and faculty members. The first center was opened in Chelsea, Michigan in 1978. Students can also chose to fulfill their residency at the center in Ypsilanti, Michigan opened in 1993.

Initially, the focus of the department was to establish the patient care practice and the residency program, as well as an undergraduate education program. Following the first department review in 1983, Dr. Davies shifted the focus of the faculty to also emphasize scholarly research. During this review, the University of Michigan confirmed its commitment to maintaining the department.

Dr. Davies stepped down as department chair in 1986. Dr. Thomas L. Schwenk was named interim chair and became chair in 1988. Under Dr. Schwenk, the department expanded, opening additional family practice centers in Ypsilanti, Dexter, and Ann Arbor, Michigan and moving existing practices into new facilities. The department also restructured the governance of the program. In 1997, the department's name was changed to the Department of Family Medicine to more accurately reflect the academic nature of the department. The program is now nationally well known and has been ranked in the top five in the nation by U.S. News & World Report from 2003 to 2005.

For additional information, see the department website: http://www.med.umich.edu/fammed

From the guide to the Department of Family Medicine (University of Michigan) records, 1971-2004, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)