URochester Medicine Family Medicine Residents

04/01/2026

We're excited to announce the incoming Class of 2029!

04/01/2026

Five of our SMD graduates’ journeys through medical school, and the challenges they faced, are chronicled in a new film produced by longtime physician Michael Krasner, MD. You can see the documentary, which also touches on ways to alter the educational experience, on WXXI several times in the coming weeks. Including one of our great residents, Rachel Johnson!
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/documentary-explores-toll-of-becoming-a-doctor
Find on WXXI HDTV April 6 9p, April 11 4p, April 13 5p

12/22/2025

Doug Stockman returned recently from Honduras. Doug has created a 20th Anniversary page to commemorate 20 years of working with the people in San Jose.
https://sanjosepartners.org/20th-anniversary/ and also a trip report. https://sanjosepartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TripReportMini202512.3.pdf

12/07/2025

The national shortage of primary care physicians is an ongoing concern. A new study led by Colleen Fogarty, MD, chair of our department of Family Medicine, shows the problem is greatest in rural areas.

Between 2017 and 2023 there was an 11% decrease in family physicians practicing in rural parts of the country, with the greatest losses in the Northeast.

“Fewer U.S. medical students are choosing family medicine as a specialty,” says Fogarty. “Over the years, international students have offset the shortage, but current uncertainty around visa requirements for residents and practicing physicians adds another layer of concern about the family medicine workforce.”

The exodus of rural physicians is happening at a time when young adults in the 25-44 age group are moving to rural areas at the highest rate in nearly a century, powered by remote work opportunities and the amenities of country life.

Fogarty and her team are creating a new rural residency training track where residents complete their first year of rotations in the city for the high-volume, high-acuity care that’s foundational, then spend their last two years in a continuity practice in a rural community, and complete rotations working with local specialists. “It’s an important initiative that we hope will make a difference,” adds Fogarty. The first two candidates at Rochester will match in July 2027 and begin their rural training in July 2028.

Full study in the comments.

11/24/2025

October 2025—Allen Tsai, medical student at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, has been awarded a 2026 STFM Foundation Student Scholarship from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) to participate in the 2026 STFM Conference on Medical Student Education.

This highly competitive scholarship is awarded to some of the best and brightest medical students from across the country. In addition to recognizing a strong commitment to academic family medicine through scholastic, volunteer, and leadership pursuits, this award acknowledges the recipient’s strong potential for a career in academic medicine. Only 20 awards were given for 2026.

11/17/2025

In this Learners on Location video on undergraduate medical education, Lilyveth Mesa, a third-year medical student, discusses her experience coming to Rochester from Miami and navigating life at SMD with Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Professor of Emergency Medicine Flavia Nobay, MD, and Lilyveth’s advisor, Vice Chair of Family Medicine and Associate Dean Anne Nofziger, MD, Class of 1999.

In this episode of Learners on Location, we join third-year medical student Lilyveth Mesa, Associate Dean of Student Affairs Flavia Nobay, MD, and Associate ...

07/15/2025

Thank you to Claire Moynihan, CNM, MS for support of the Family Medicine Residents at the Highland Family Maternity Center.
They were chosen by the Family Medicine residents to receive the Obstetrics Teaching award.
The Department of Family Medicine has established an award that is given on an annual basis. This award is granted by the Family Medicine residents to the clinician who best exemplifies these qualities: excellence in clinical judgment and patient care, excellence in clinical teaching, excellence in relating to and respecting the Family Medicine residents and their ideals. This award is intended to value and recognize those individuals who have made significant contributions to the Family Medicine Residency Program.

07/15/2025

Thank you Dr. Allison Guarin for all you have done for the family medicine residents!
Dr. Guarin was selected by the Family Medicine residents to receive the Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident Teaching award.
“This award will go to an OB/GYN resident who has made significant contributions to the education of Family Medicine residents and fellows. This person demonstrates exceptional teaching and communication skills, and is a role model for Family Medicine-OB/GYN collaboration.”

07/14/2025

Shout out to recent graduate Kalyani Sonarikar on receiving the Jacob Holler Annual Resident Award.
This award was established by the Highland Hospital Board of Directors in 1983 and is presented annually to a Highland Hospital Resident, selected by his/her peers (Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Med-Peds Residents) , who best demonstrates the qualities of Dr. Holler. These qualities include deep and caring concern, kindness, integrity, understanding, good humor and, above all, inspired teaching and dedication to resident medical education. Dr. Holler faithfully served Highland in a variety of leadership positions from 1950 to 1982. These included Director of Medical Education (1950-1982), Chief of Medicine (1956 - 1969), Director of Clinical Services (1969 - 1982) and Director of the Clinical Laboratories (1950 - 1979).
Dr. Sonarikar was also chosen by the Family Medicine faculty to receive the STFM Resident Teacher Award! https://www.stfm.org/awardsscholarships/awards/stfmresidentteacheraward/overview/ from a faculty member: "Dr. Sonarikar is a born teacher...She is such a great, caring, detail-oriented teacher who is patient and meets the learner where they are..."

07/11/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Carlos Diaz-Balzac, who was chosen by the Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Med-Peds Residents to receive the Highland Medicine Teaching award.
Over the past decades, Highland Hospital has evolved into a core internal medicine teaching site for UR Residents. UR Faculty based at HH serve in a full range of clinical educational roles, including morning report facilitation, noon didactics and as team attendings. Each year one extraordinary faculty member is chosen to receive the Highland Medicine Teaching Award. Thank you Dr. Diaz-Balzac! Of note, last year Dr. Diaz-Balzac received the Family Medicine Community Teaching Award!

07/09/2025

We'd like to congratulate Dr. Tim Smilnak on receiving the Lovejoy Preceptor Award at the recent R3 graduation banquet.
The Lovejoy Preceptor Award is chosen by all the family medicine residents and is awarded to an outstanding academic or community faculty preceptor at Highland Family Medicine who demonstrates the qualities of Dr. Frank Lovejoy. These qualities include dedication to residency education, inspired teaching and a deep compassion for patients and residents.

07/08/2025

Congratulations and Thank you to Sandy Wang on receiving the annual Family Medicine Community Teaching Award. The award recognizes the teaching contributions of community physicians who teach residents on a regular basis.