ST. CLOUD (WJON News) - The only rural family medicine program in Minnesota has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
The University of Minnesota – CentraCare Willmar Rural Family Medicine Residency Program works to train two new family medicine physicians a year with a focus on rural medicine.
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Shailey Prasad, Associate Vice-President for Global and Rural Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, says this is the result of a partnership between hospitals and the university.
This is the first Rural Training Program residency in the state of Minnesota and the result of a great partnership with CentraCare’s Willmar clinic, the Minnesota Department of Health, and our Medical School. The magic ingredient in bringing this residency to fruition is our relationship with CentraCare.
With the first cohort set to begin in 2025, the students will hold training at Willmar Lakeland Clinic and CentraCare - Rice Memorial Hospital. With the accreditation, the program can now start to recruit fourth-year medical students looking to receive specialized training in rural medicine.
The program’s director is Richard Wehseler.
Accreditation is a significant milestone. It has taken a team of dedicated individuals across many organizations that have worked hard to create this robust program. Up to this point, many things were theoretical, and while there have been several milestones in our path to developing this program, receiving accreditation is a big one.
For more information on the program, find the program’s website here.
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