Family Medicine

The Department of Family Medicine encompasses a large and diverse group of individuals in a variety of settings who share the common goal of providing high quality, comprehensive health care to patients and their families.

The department presently includes 21 full-time faculty, 85 volunteer faculty and 47 residents. In addition to utilizing busy academic ambulatory practices and inpatient services at three teaching hospitals (Buffalo General, Erie County Medical Center and Millard Fillmore Suburban), our teaching program relies heavily upon a network of dedicated community-based family physician teachers.

Along with our central focus of providing family-centered primary care to individuals of all ages, a variety of special interests are reflected in the clinical activity, research and educational programs of the department. These include Prevention and Wellness, Maternal and Child Health, Geriatrics, Rural Health Care, Global Health, and Urban Family Medicine (with an emphasis on the health care needs of traditionally underserved populations).

Medical student education is given the highest priority in the Department of Family Medicine, with course offerings available in all four years of the curriculum. Clinical training is based on individualized instruction and close one-to-one relationships between attending physicians and students. Classroom work relies primarily on small group discussions, active student participation, problem-based learning, and self-directed study. Emphasis is placed on communication and interviewing skills, the doctor-patient relationship, the bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to patient care in the context of family and community, continuity and comprehensiveness of care, health promotion and disease prevention, clinical problem solving and rational therapeutics, as well as the diagnosis and management of common illnesses

Department Coordinator: Michelle Kasprzyk

Course Descriptions

  • FMD 700 Family Medicine Clerkship
    11/18/22
    The goals of this course are to teach medical students the basic knowledge, skills and attitudes involved in the discipline of family medicine, primarily in the diagnosis and management of common undifferentiated problems of patients of all ages in the ambulatory setting and to promote independent learning, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • FMD 800 Subinternship In Family Medicine, 4 credits
    11/18/22
    The goal of the subinternship in family medicine is to provide students with an intensive experience in the care of hospitalized patients.
  • FMD 803 Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 4 credits
    3/27/24
    Students will become familiar with clinically applicable principles of basic science, anatomy, pathology, and biomechanics, with an emphasis on the clinical and compassionate care of patients with musculoskeletal disorders.
  • FMD 820 Addiction Medicine, 4 credits
    11/18/22
    The goal of the elective is to learn how to care for patients who have addictive disorders.
  • FMD 830 Primary Care Diagnostic Imaging, 4 credits
    11/18/22
    The scope of this imaging course includes: physics of imaging, processes involved in the use of imaging, image storage, the use of computer-assisted imaging programs, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, myelography, discography, radionuclide imaging, mammography, fluroscopy and ultrasonography.
  • FMD 840 Primary Ambulatory Care - Sports Medicine, 4 credits
    9/15/23
    The goals of the rotation are to enable students to observe and participate in, on an intensive basis, the full range of primary care delivery by a family physician.
  • FMD 890-D Course at Other University, 4 credits
    11/18/22
    It will be the student’s responsibility to provide or obtain needed information regarding the nature of the experience.
  • FMD 890-G Cross-Cultural Medicine Elective
    2/27/23
    This elective allows senior medical students to work under supervision in various clinical sites in other countries.
  • FMD 890-V Cross-Cultural Medicine Elective
    7/24/23
    This virtual global health elective provides an efficient, effective and enjoyable way of diving into global health and learning a lot about this field of medicine in a short amount of time
  • FMD 899 Independent Study, 4 credits
    3/27/24
    Proposals for independent study must include a detailed written program description including goals and objectives, methods of study, faculty supervision, means of evaluation and educational rationale.
  • FMD 899MS Independent Study (Medical Spanish), 4 credits
    3/27/24
    The online medical Spanish independent elective is just that; independently done at your own pace during the 4 week block/module.
  • FMD 900 Faith, Medicine And End-Of-Life Care, 4 credits
    1/30/23
    The goal of this course is to provide learning opportunities that will enable students to develop competencies regarding end-of-life care.
  • FMD 950 Research In Family Medicine, 4 credits
    3/6/20
    Students are encouraged to participate in research activities under the supervision of faculty in the Department of Family Medicine. Students may assist faculty in ongoing projects or may seek faculty sponsorship of student-initiated research.