Shiprock University of New Mexico (UNM) Family Medicine Residency Residency Life

My first rotation as an undergraduate student with the Northern Navajo Medical Center was a paradigm shift for my entire mindset and career. There, I first discovered the amazing potential of a robust public health network backed by committed providers, government resources, and community leaders with insight into their people's unique needs. I was struck by the focus on prevention of illness -- a revelation after being a patient and observer in the larger American health system built around response to illness. I later returned as a medical student and resident, drawn back by the patients' warmth, the IHS' unique practice environment, and the strength of the family medicine providers in particular (the entire provider community is great, as well). Working alongside family medicine doctors and physician assistants practicing at their fullest scope was an inspiration and a dream come true. If I could go back and do my full training at Shiprock, I absolutely would do so -- with dedicated, knowledgeable, and fun teachers and the ability to truly practice full family medicine day in and out, I know that I would be able to help my patients so much more than I do now. A family doctor who trains or works at Shiprock can truly make their own practice and ultimately, a real difference in their patients' lives and communities.

As a 3rd year medical student, I had the privilege of doing a Family Medicine clerkship month with the IHS team in Shiprock. I had an outstanding experience and was inspired to pursue a career in Family Medicine as a result of my time there. I appreciated the diversity of clinical scenarios available to trainees: working a busy outpatient primary care clinic, covering obstetrics, rounding on floor and ICU level hospitalized patients, helping with postpartum couplet care, and participating in specialty clinics (especially women's health, dermatology, and hepatology). This diversity of experiences combined with high-level teaching from an incredibly dedicated group of clinicians still has me appreciating my time in Shiprock years later. It showed me how rewarding a career in general practice could be and gave me a foundation of medical and public health skills to serve a rural population, which I now do as a family medicine resident in central Pennsylvania.

As a fourth-year medical student, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to complete a family medicine rotation in Shiprock. I was incredibly excited to participate in this rotation as I knew I wanted to pursue broad spectrum family medicine, and my expectations were entirely surpassed during my month in New Mexico as I got to experience what it was like to live and work for the IHS. During my rotation I was exposed primarily to the outpatient clinic, where I saw patients with a variety of clinical conditions and performed procedures during clinic. In addition, I participated in learning during ICU rounds, I spent time with the diabetes education team and at the women and children's clinic and spent an afternoon learning from a traditional medicine man. I supremely enjoyed the diversity of learning experiences during my time in Shiprock as well as the autonomy (even as a medical student!) and cannot overstate the depth of knowledge I gained working with the physicians there. What I enjoyed the most was learning from the Navajo patients, who were so willing to share their perspectives and experiences and how they impact their health care. As a second-year family medicine resident in a program that prepares residents for rural practice, I am heading back to Shiprock. I am looking forward to spending more time on the inpatient services and feel that a residency program located in Shiprock would offer an unparalleled experience for those passionate about family medicine--what an amazing opportunity!

There were so many things I enjoyed about my time at NNMC. Most importantly, the relationship that the physicians had with their patients was striking—many patients talked to their primary providers as if they were members of their family, and the physicians I worked with did the same. It was also wonderful to be able to experience the beauty of Navajo culture first-hand and to be welcomed by the patients whose care I took part in. Additionally, all of the preceptors I worked with were enthusiastic about teaching, both with respect to medical instruction as well as with respect to important cultural aspects of care. Although I went into psychiatry rather than family medicine, I felt that my time at NNMC helped prepare me for my career path because of how it contributed to my skills in caring for patients in a culturally sensitive way, taught me about the challenges and benefits of working in a rural setting, and taught me knowledge that is important in primary care, which I find useful as a psychiatrist in thinking about my patients as whole. Lastly, it’s impossible to ignore the diversity of the natural beauty in the area. For an outdoor enthusiast like me, there are few (if any) other places in the United States that offer access to such a broad array of outdoor experiences: the desert, the mountains, historical ruins, and canyons are all easily accessible and all have their own unique brand of natural beauty. Shiprock would have been a wonderful place to spend 2 years, if not more, for all of these reasons.