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Family Practice Fellowships

Article on Family Practice Fellowships

Family practice fellowships provide funding for medical doctors to continue their education. Fellowships usually take place after completion of medical school and three years of a family practice residency. The additional training provides doctors with a chance to develop specialized skill sets. Potential family practice fellowships include those training in rural practice, behavioral health, sports medicine, obstetrics, emergency response, and faculty development.

Why do a fellowship?

Fellowships provide funded means for medical specialization which helps to reduce the dependency on loans which in turn also allows for more focused research. Training programs can increase confidence, flexibility, and income potential. They also prepare doctors for specific careers or locations. Specialization in a particular field also provides a compelling intellectual challenge for doctors passionate about research in their field.

Rural Fellowships

Rural fellowships are often taught in university or hospital settings. They help prepare family practice residents to feel confident in their procedural, clinical, and academic skills, so that they can take their skills to rural environments without the support of other doctors. These programs were created due to an overwhelming need for rural physicians.

Behavioral Fellowships

Mental health care providers are also of critical need nationwide, particularly in rural areas. Rural behavioral fellowships, therefore, function on improving mental health treatment and response skills. Behavioral fellowships are also offered in pediatrics and neurology. Within these fields, fellows are often expected to function as professors or assistant professors upon program completion.

Geriatrics Fellowships

These are two year fellowships with the purpose of enhancing clinical care giving skills for the elderly, conducting research to better understand the aging process, and developing appropriate teaching techniques. As such, many geriatricians will go on to work in academic programs after completion. Geriatrics fellowships must be completed to attain board certification.

Sports Medicine Fellowships

These fellowships are split into primary care sports medicine and orthopaedic sports medicine. Primary care sports fellowships train in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of non-operative sports injuries. Orthopaedic sports medicine programs are more surgically centered. These programs are for doctors who have completed an orthopaedic residency. Both fellowships last one year.

Obstetrics

As there are always new babies to be delivered, there are always many fellowships to train obstetricians. Consequently, obstetrics is one of the most popular family practice fellowships. Obstetrics fellowships provide education on operative procedures, ultrasounds, tubals, amniocentesis, etc. Fellowships generally provide training with more high risk and operative obstetrics. Programs last six months to a year.

Emerging Opportunities: Emergency & Faculty Development

Faculty development and emergency response fellowships are two emerging family practice fellowships. Faculty development encourages skills in leadership, management, and doctor-patient relationships. Some programs include a master’s in public health. Emergency response fellowships are also becoming more popular as ER doctors are always in high demand. Typically, the primary care nature of emergency response attracts family practice doctors.

The benefits of medical specialization include increased flexibility, freedom, higher income potential and confidence. Family practice fellowships, thus, are offered in many different fields including, but not limited to, the aforementioned examples. These fellowships provide the financial and academic support to complete this supplemental training, helping make better doctors and healthier communities. Speak to the University that you study at or have chosen, to find out what fellowships are available and how to apply.