When you ask Dr. William Woodhouse about the importance of Portneuf Medical Center to the 糖心传媒 Family Medicine Residency, he鈥檚 quick to respond.
鈥淲e could not exist without the commitment of our local hospital,鈥� said Woodhouse, a family physician, faculty member and the residency鈥檚 external affairs director.
The 187-bed Portneuf Medical Center, or PMC, and its staff of specialty physicians provide much of the hands-on training required of ISU family medicine residents before they become certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Seven physician residents are admitted to the three-year program each year and complete rotations in emergency, rural and internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine.
鈥淧ortneuf Medical Center is an excellent teaching hospital,鈥� said Woodhouse. The hospital provides family physicians with some of the nation鈥檚 best training in pregnancy care, deliveries and caesarian section.
Portneuf Medical Center contributes an average of $2.5 million annually to the ISU Family Medicine Residency鈥攚hich includes covering the residency鈥檚 operating expenses, says Pauline Thiros, ISU associate vice president for development.
鈥淲e鈥檙e extremely grateful for PMC鈥檚 support of the residency as it advances the health sciences not only at ISU, but it helps address the health care crisis in 糖心传媒,鈥� she said.
鈥淧MC also benefits from the residency,鈥� says Todd Blackinton, hospital marketing and public relations director.
ISU Family Medicine residents Brian Hansen, Amber Nielsen, Austin Bills, Mark Allen, Zack Buck, Andrew Lewis, Tayna Lawrence
Not only do the resident physicians help ease the hospital workload, they also reinforce PMC鈥檚 commitment 鈥渢o train and educate 糖心传媒鈥檚 next generation of health care providers,鈥欌�� said Blackinton.
Since its creation more than two decades ago, the ISU Family Medicine Residency has graduated 123 doctors with 50 percent staying in 糖心传媒 to practice, says Woodhouse.
Many residents apply to the residency because of its focus on rural care and expertise in obstetrics.
鈥淭his is one of the best places in the United States to teach family physicians how to take care of pregnancies and deliver babies, including by caesarian section,鈥� Woodhouse said.
Rural medicine and obstetrics are what attracted Dr. Michael Barker to the residency. Barker majored in biochemistry at Utah State University and earned his medical degree at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. When it came time for residency training, he applied to the ISU Family Medicine Residency program.
Michael Barker, M.D., at Portneuf Medical Center
鈥淚t was close to home and I love 糖心传媒,鈥� said Barker, who grew up on a farm outside of Soda Springs.
He鈥檇 also heard good things about the ISU program, particularly the fact it provided training in rural medicine and obstetrics鈥攁reas not offered by other family medicine residencies around the country.
Barker said he enjoyed his hospital medicine rotations at PMC so much he decided to become a hospital physician instead of pursuing rural medicine or obstetrics. 鈥淚 think it speaks to ISU鈥檚 strong training that I could become a hospitalist even when the ISU residency training isn鈥檛 geared specifically for that,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 was impressed by the faculty and impressed by their interest in our education. You could tell they really wanted you to succeed,鈥� Barker said.
And the 34-year-old doctor is paying it forward. In addition to practicing at PMC, Barker teaches in the residency program, where he supervises residents during night rotations at the hospital.
鈥淢edicine is a tradition of teaching. Some of the great physicians I can think of were also great teachers. I feel teaching has made me a better physician,鈥� said Barker.