University of Virginia Library

A Sociable Dose Of Private Medicine

By SARAH HENRY

With its first resident
graduating in June, the training
program of the Family Health
Center answers the
ever-increasing demand for
doctors with specialized
training in family medicine.

Dr. Joseph May, a University
graduate and former football
team member, is completing
his final year of training as a
resident doctor at the Center.
In full-time practice, he sees
patients daily in the office;
with problems ranging from
measles to meningitis. And
voluble patients with troubles
to discuss find a sympathetic
ear in the doctor with the
"personal touch."

"We don't have to rush our
patients though," explains Dr.
May. "With a more relaxed
schedule than is found in many
private practices, we can take
the time to listen to our
patients." Harks back to the
days when the "G.P." was a
friend as well as a physician,
doesn't it?

In keeping with the
innovations of recent years, the
Family Health Center is in the
vanguard of institutions
favoring the group-practice
approach for doctors wishing
to specialize in family
medicine.

Residency

The residency program of
the Center has recently
received approval from the
Residency Review Board of the
American Medical Association.
With eleven residents in
training, the three-year
graduated program provides its
students with experience in
such areas of practice as
business procedures and
insurance for employees, as
well as related clinical
specialties.

The family doctor has
previously been known as a
G.P., or General Practitioner.
Today, family medicine has
become a specialty. An
increasing number of medical
students are interested in
family practice as a career, and
they must pass a Specialty
Board Exam at the conclusion
of their training to be certified
family physicians.

The Family Health Center
provides services for such

diverse groups as communes,
the largest of which contains
eighteen people. "We try to
develop a population of
patients encompassing
asocio-economic
cross-section," states Director
Dr. Richard W. Lindsay. A
significant percentage of the
patients are indigent, unable to
afford regular medical care,
though all economic levels are
represented.

Private Practice

Dr. Lindsay defines the Center
as "a model of someone's
office in family medicine. It
has all the problems you
ordinarily encounter in private
practice, including those
involving staff and personnel."
He feels that the major benefits
derived by residents in the
program are an increasing
awareness of the family as a
unit, and invaluable experience
in family medicine.

Elective

Medical students may also
learn family medicine at the
Center. To enter the program,
second-semester med. students
elect to work at the Center
one-half day a week. During
the third and fourth years they
may take a one month
full-time elective. The students
observe the work of the staff
physicians in their daily
practices.

The Family Health Center
opened in September of 1971,
and is located at 1224 JPA,
where it receives patients
Monday thru Friday, 9-5 daily.
University faculty and the
families of students may be
treated at the Center, but
students are required to seek
medical care at Student Health.

"Our function within the
University community has not
yet been clearly defined as to
our patient population,"
remarked Dr. May. Its role is
expected to become
increasingly significant as more
faculty members and the
families of students seek
treatment.