Director's Welcome

Dear Prospective Resident:

Thank you for your interest in the Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program. 2008 marked the beginning of a new chapter in our history. Although this past July we proudly unveiled a new program - with a progressive new curriculum and an expanded, renovated medical center - the truth is, we have a lot of experience teaching family medicine residents. Between the former Saint Mary of Nazareth and Saint Elizabeth Hospital Family Medicine Programs, our institutions had over 60 years of experience in resident education. We purposefully built a new program that melds innovation and experience. And while the training we offer is delivered in a vibrant, inner city setting, we believe it will impart the skills and confidence to practice in any environment.

Family Medicine at Saints Mary and Elizabeth is the hospital's only training program, which distinguishes us from most other programs in Chicago. Being an "unopposed" program means that residents receive extensive hands-on experience, personal attention from faculty, attendings and hospital administrators, as well as easy access to medical technology. Residents do not compete for cases with residents from other specialties. Nor do they abdicate patient care responsibilities to other services. From the moment they enter the program, residents learn the skills needed to manage their own patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Residents grow both personally and professionally because they are mentored by the Family Medicine faculty along with a committed group of subspecialty attendings who enjoy their roles as teachers.

Saints Mary and Elizabeth is a technologically advanced community hospital located in an exciting and culturally diverse area of Chicago. Our location offers residents the opportunity to treat people from many different backgrounds with a broad range of medical needs. In addition to seeing patients at one of two community-based clinics in the area, residents may also rotate at other area hospitals, as well as learn about our patients through interactions with community groups. Candidates interested in the care of underserved populations, cross-cultural medicine and international health will find the program especially appealing.

If you are interested in a well-rounded residency experience that emphasizes community-based care in an urban setting, I encourage you to take a close look at the Family Medicine Residency Program at Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center. The three-year curriculum provides exciting possibilities for challenge, growth, and discovery - all designed to prepare you to be a skilled, caring family doctor.

Please call me, or our residency coordinator, Elida Gonzalez, at 312-633-5842 if you have any questions concerning the program.

Yours truly,

Michael Friedman, M.D.
Director
Family Medicine Residency Program