Department of Medicine

Residency Program

Ambulatory Training Sites

At its founding, the University of Massachusetts Medical School was envisioned as a training ground for primary care providers for the Commonwealth. Over the years, our Department has achieved excellence in the medical subspecialties. We nevertheless remain committed to UMass' original mission.

Evidence of our commitment to primary care is conspicuous. At least half of our program graduates currently enter careers in general internal medicine. General internists represent the largest single constituency in our Department. UMass was one of the twelve medical schools from around the country to be awarded a major training grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of their Generalist Physician Initiative, and is perennially listed among the top five American medical schools for primary care by U.S. News and World Report.

Training in ambulatory care medicine is a critical component of the residency program. Primary care providers, as well as subspecialty physicians, spend the majority of their time in the office setting. It is essential for all house officers to acquire the unique skills required for outpatient medical practice.

We are fortunate to have a wide variety of ambulatory care training sites available to our residents. Including urban, rural, solo, multi-specialty, HMO, VA, and university-based clinics. At the core of our ambulatory program is a dynamic primary care faculty. Our department has two discrete divisions of general medicine, the university and community groups. Both are active in ambulatory training of residents. Together they comprise a total of 130 primary care physicians, at 67 sites, in central Massachusetts's communities. This network represents a rich and varied resource for our housestaff program. We continue to add training sites each year, many of which are staffed by our own program graduates. The following paragraphs depict a sampling of our major clinic sites.

UMass Adult Primary Care Clinic

The Adult Primary Care Clinic at UMass is a major training site for resident continuity clinics. The philosophy at this site is to create an environment that encourages residents to develop their own patient panel. Residents gain increasing degrees of autonomy, but always with adequate support. Dedicated preceptors and support staff are always present. This university-based clinic offers a heterogeneous patient population, and full access to the hospital medical informatics and ancillary services.

Tri-River Family Health Center

Tri-River Family Health Center (TRFHC) is a UMass Memorial multi-specialty clinic located in Uxbridge, Massachusetts approximately 30 minutes from Worcester. Founded in 1978, TRFHC has become a paradigm for fulfilling the respective interests of medical education and community health care. The Internal Medicine Department is staffed by 6 Board-certified UMass faculty, 2 of whom are graduates of the UMass Residency Program. The clinic serves as a training site for both residents and medical students. UMass medical students from all four classes participate in TRFHC programs, and 10-12 medical residents have their continuity clinic at TRFHC. Additionally, 1-2 residents per month participate in a "block" rotation consisting of daily primary care clinics and a variety of other outpatient-oriented activities such as ophthalmology, gynecology, and ENT clinics.

Tri-River offers a unique exposure to community-based primary care in an academic environment.

Worcester VA Clinic

The Worcester VA Clinic provides comprehensive outpatient care for veterans. It is situated in a modern facility 5 minutes from UMass Memorial Medical Center. On-site services include radiology, laboratory, physical therapy, mental health, pharmacy, and many medical subspecialties. State-of-the-art medical informatics services and infrastructure greatly facilitate the care of the patient and enrich the experience of staff and residents. Residents have the opportunity to be primary care providers with support of full-time staff.

Community-Based Faculty Sites

A variety of community-based practice locations have collectively become a popular choice for ambulatory education over recent years. Each site generally accommodates 1-2 residents and offers a patient population reflective of those encountered in the private practice setting. Driving distances vary from 10 to 40 minutes. Residents may choose a clinic site convenient to where they are living. The preceptors at each site have been chosen for their strong commitment to medical education.