Nearly half of the 2009 graduating class of medical doctors at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario will be pursuing a career in family medicine.
Forty-five percent of the 133 students receiving their Degree in Medicine will carry on with a two year residency program to become a family physician, the highest percentage in years. Last year 31 per cent were matched with family medicine.
The convocation ceremony for the MD class of 2009 will be held Friday, May 15 at 10:00 a.m. at Alumni Hall.
“Our graduates will help to alleviate the severe shortage of family doctors,” says Dean Carol Herbert. “We’re delighted that young doctors are recognizing the opportunities and benefits that family medicine offers for physicians and patients.”
Shashank Garg is staying in the London region to do his postgraduate training and says, “I chose to pursue family medicine because it offers the best opportunity to develop a long term therapeutic relationship with patients. Also, there are a number of rural and urban practice settings and opportunities, making it an incredibly diverse field.”
The next two most matched specialties were internal medicine with 13 per cent of the class and surgery with 12 per cent.