Message from Chairman

The Department of Family Medicine is a dynamic department seeking to increase the number of physicians entering primary care as a career. Family Medicine offers rewards to both the physician and patient.
The Department of Family Medicine has a multitude of programs that capture the interest of various audiences. These programs are described in great detail on this homepage. However, what makes the Family Medicine department so exceptional, is its faculty, residents and staff. These dedicated individuals are highly skilled, knowledgeable and leaders in medical education.

The faculty in the Department of Family Medicine take great pride in the personalized training given to students and residents. They are actively involved in student programs and enthusiastically encourage student research interests.

Our residents in family medicine are integral participants in the Department of Family Medicine as they work with our faculty in fulfilling our mission of education, research, patient care and community service. A standard of excellence reflected in their innovation, vigilance and professionalism prepares them to act as responsible providers of health care and to become advocates of their profession, school, residency and patients.

The Department of Family Medicine is seeking to expand its clinical sites. Current, clinical sites are actively involved in patient care for the entire family. In addition, faculty, residents and students are actively involved in clinical drug trials, as well as ambulatory outcomes research. Our department’s recent federal grant acquisitions have placed us in the forefront of medical technology. This technology will assist our faculty, residents and students in their academic and research endeavors. The department welcomes inquiries from students, residents and faculty regarding interest in pursuing career goals at the largest health sciences university in the country.

History

The Department of Family Medicine was established at the onset of the School of Osteopathic Medicine in 1977. The founding Chair of the Department was Richard Leedy, D.O. Under Dr. Leedy’s direction, the Department established an ambulatory site in Stratford and later a site in Marlton. He also established the first two year osteopathic residency program.

Following Dr. Leedy’s tenure, Dr. Eugene Mochan became Chairman in 1986. Dr. Mochan served as Chairman of the Department for five years. Dr. Mochan successfully obtained two federal grants to develop a biopsychosocial component of the residency program as well as a geriatric component. The Sicklerville ambulatory site was also established.

Dr. Carman Ciervo is the current Chairman and served as Vice-Chairman from 1992 – 1995. Dr. Ciervo continues to expand primary care services clinically and strengthen all academic programs and services. The Department has grown by three more clinical sites in Hammonton, Hainesport and Washington Township. The Department has also opened the Division of Dermatology this past year in Stratford. Under Dr. Ciervo, the Department of Family Medicine obtained two grants for improving the medical school curriculum and establishing a Division of Educational Development and Research. The Department is strongly supported by administration and looks to continually expand its clinical and academic services.

Three federal grant applications continue to be developed and submitted. These grants and research further support departmental and school initiatives

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Family Medicine of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – School of Osteopathic Medicine is to promote leadership and excellence in the discipline of Family Medicine through:

• Recruiting, educating, and mentoring students for careers in family medicine via innovative curricular direction with special emphasis on osteopathic philosophy, the needs of the underserved, and service to the community at large;
• Committing to provide the community with quality trained osteopathic family physicians with added training in biopsychosocial medicine, ethical practice, managed care and the healthcare needs of minority and diverse populations through its residency program;
• Fostering and supporting clinical research and scholarly activity with special emphasis on the philosophy and practice of family medicine in an evolving healthcare environment;
• Providing personalized, comprehensive, preventative healthcare to family and community with sensitivity to ethnically and culturally diverse populations; and
• Responding to the educational needs of community physicians, and physicians nationally, by providing local and national continuing medical education programs.

Goals

The Department of Family Medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Osteopathic Medicine established the following goals for the 2005-2006 academic year:

• Obtain new grant funding to support cultural and interdisciplinary training across the medical education continuum.
• Continue to train faculty and residents in cultural and interdisciplinary skills.
• Revise the predoctoral curriculum to include core cultural and interdisciplinary skills on all predoctoral levels.
• Establish interdisciplinary sites with other SOM departments in medically underserved areas.
• Encourage and assist Family Medicine faculty in research and scholarly pursuits.
• To continue the expansion process by increasing the number of clinical sites and primary care physicians in the community.

This report summarizes the avenues that the Department is pursuing to attain status as the leader in health care in southern New Jersey.