Our department maintains a strong interest and highly visible presence in the School of Medicine. Family Medicine faculty members are committed to helping students acquire basic medical knowledge, be proficient problem solvers, and learn clinical skills and attitudes essential for physicians.
They teach in the problem-based learning and introduction to patient care curricula developed for first and second year students. They also manage the seven-week Family Medicine clerkship, which is a required rotation for all third year students. In addition, the department provides electives for fourth year students. More than half of MU medical students participate in Family Medicine elective experiences during their fourth year of school.
Family Medicine faculty members serve in numerous leadership roles at MU. Our faculty have been the faculty sponsors for MedZou, the student run free clinic that has been successful since its inception. They serve as course directors of Introduction to Patient Care courses, Patient Based Learning courses, as well as ACE (Ambulatory Clinical Experience) and COMPASS (Contemplating Medicine, Patients, Self and Society). Our faculty also provide leadership for STEP (Senior Teacher Educator Partnership Program) and Legacy Teachers, and they serve on numerous medical school committees.
Preclinical Curriculum
MU Family Medicine faculty members play a vital role in developing and teaching the patient-based learning and introduction to patient care components that students complete during their first two years of school.
Clinical Curriculum
We coordinate the seven-week family medicine clerkship for third-year students and electives for fourth-year students. Core learning experiences for the clerkship take place in ambulatory clinic settings, but students also see patients in the hospital. Students work with our family physicians for four weeks, and they spend four weeks offsite working with family doctors state-wide.
Senior Rotations
Our department offers senior medical students an elective preceptorship, onsite and offsite externships, and electives in research, evidence based medical writing, rural family medicine, family medicine geriatrics, family medicine maternity care, international medicine, preventative/community medicine, and palliative medicine. Students may also complete advanced biomedical sciences electives in research.
Family Medicine Preceptors
We’re happy to present to you our MU Family Medicine Preceptor Guide. This handbook provides an overview of our Family Medicine clerkship goals and objectives. It also includes pertinent information regarding how to teach medical students and provide feedback about their efforts. We hope you find this resource helpful and welcome your suggestions on how we might improve it. Thank you for your willingness to serve as a MU medical student preceptor.
MU-AHEC Rural Scholars Summer Community Program
The MU-AHEC Rural Scholars Summer Community Program, which is coordinated by Mid-Missouri Area Health Education Center, is designed for students interested in small-town family practice. Participants live in a rural community for eight weeks and work closely with doctors, nurses, and other health-care providers in the area.
Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG)
Medical students may join FMIG, an organization that seeks to educate students about the specialty of family medicine. FMIG provides ongoing support to students interested in family medicine and exposes them to the career options available to physicians who specialize in this area.
Students Enrolled at Other Medical Schools
If you are a student at another medical school and would like information on completing a rotation at the University of Missouri, please visit the Senior Rotation Catalog.
