WILLMAR — CentraCare, in partnership with the University of Minnesota, announced the accreditation of their three-year rural family medicine residency program. The residency program allows medical school students to learn in hospital and clinic settings.
“This is the first Rural Training Program residency in the state of Minnesota and the result of a great partnership with CentraCare’s Willmar clinic, the Minnesota Department of Health, and our Medical School,” Dr. Shailey Prasad, associate vice president for global and rural health at the University of Minnesota’s Medical School, said in a news release.
The first cohort to take part in the new residency program will start in 2025. This accreditation will provide new opportunities to medical students who want specialized training in rural settings.
Molly Gardner, rural residency coordinator, said in the release that fourth-year medical students will be interviewed this fall "in order to choose the top candidates to become our first class of residents.”
The program will be hosted at CentraCare’s Willmar Lakeland Clinic and Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar. The program’s goal is to train two new family medicine physicians a year.
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“The presence of a residency program has a far-reaching impact. Studies indicate that a program yields numerous positive outcomes and invigorates the entire area. This endeavor will significantly benefit not just Willmar, but the wider region,” program director Dr. Richard Wehseler said.
The accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education came through efforts from the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, the Minnesota Department of Health, CentraCare and local backing across Minnesota.
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