ECU recognized for educating family doctors

The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University has received a national award for its success in sending medical graduates into family medicine.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has given ECU an achievement award for sending 19.1 percent of its medical graduates into family medicine residency programs during the three-year period that ended in October. The Brody School of Medicine ranked behind only the University of Kansas School of Medicine, which sent 21 percent of graduates into family medicine residencies.

From left, Dr. Kenneth Steinweg, interim chairman of family medicine at ECU; Dr. Janice Daughtry, associate professor of family medicine; and Dr. Dan Ostergaard, vice president for professional activities at the American Academy of Family Physicians, pose

ECU climbed from its ranking of eighth last year.

“This is national recognition and acknowledgement that the Brody School of Medicine faculty continue to support one of the fundamental missions that our medical school was founded on: an emphasis on primary care,” said Dr. Kenneth Steinweg, interim chairman of the ECU Department of Family Medicine.

During the three-year period from 2005-2007, 35 medical graduates entered family medicine residencies, the training doctors receive before they can practice on their own. Another 11 entered family medicine residencies this year.

ECU was formally recognized May 2 at the spring conference of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine in Baltimore.