Oregon FIRST at Cascades East Family Medicine
APPLICATION REQUIRED ONLY OHSU STUDENTS
Administrative contact: Melissa Lemieux lemieuxm@ohsu.edu
Physician contact: Dr. Dwight Smith smithdw@ohsu.edu
Background
Cascades East Family Medicine Residency is dedicated to training family physicians for rural Oregon and other areas with geographic barriers to access.
The Oregon FIRST experience aims to address the primary care workforce needs of Oregon by tailoring the fourth year of medical school to begin learning the comprehensive skillset required to be a family physician in under-resourced areas. Cascades East Family Medicine Residency, a 5-star Patient Centered Primary Care Home, offers OHSU medical students high-quality rural Family Medicine training in their final year as medical students.
Located in Klamath Falls, Oregon, Cascades East Family Medicine Center is a certified Patient Centered Primary Care Medical Home. Learners are trained in a setting of interprofessional team-based care.
Full year of curriculum
Full scope experience in a rural setting
Exposure to FM Residency
Longitudinal continuity clinic experience
Point-of-care ultrasound
Procedures
Wilderness Medicine
Obstetrics
Inpatient Medicine
Residency Didactics and Workshops
Community engagement
Oregon FIRST program (34 weeks):
OFKF 741U Oregon FIRST rural continuity 1 (u3: 4 weeks)
OFKF 741F Oregon FIRST rural continuity 2 (F1-F3: 12 weeks)
OFKF 741W Oregon FIRST rural continuity 3 (w1-w3: 10 weeks)
OFKF 741S Oregon FIRST rural continuity 4 (sI-s2: 4, 6 or 8 weeks)
Application Timeline
July-August of the third year: submit Oregon FIRST application
September-December of third year: interviews with Cascades East Family Medicine Residency Program
December-January of the third year: notified of acceptance
August of fourth year: arrive in Klamath Falls and begin Oregon FIRST experience.
TESTIMONIALS
Oregon FIRST was an incredibly valuable part of my medical education. While my peers were spending time interviewing, traveling, and doing interview rotations, I was able to spend my time beginning to learn my primary specialty. When I talk to my peers, I feel like I was able to get an extra year of education, and therefore more value, for my tuition compared to those that had other obligations during their 4th years. It was enhanced by being in an unopposed location. Because there was only family medicine and many procedures needed to be done, I got early hands-on experience that allowed me to learn concepts at a higher level during my intern year. If given the choice, I would absolutely do it again.
- Joe Volpi, MD, FAAFP, FAWM
Being in the Oregon First program made a huge impact on my success and happiness as a resident at Cascades East. It is hard to overestimate the value of building continuity with patients and relationships in the community prior to residency. Continuity is difficult to establish during residency, and we know it is one of the features of long-term joy in practice -- having continuity with my Oregon First patients made a positive difference in my residency clinic experience. Oregon First improved my confidence and local health systems literacy as a PGY1, and I definitely think it got me off to a head start in residency. Thank you Dr. Smith!!
-Rita Aulie, MD
I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in the Oregon FIRST program. The longitudinal program allowed for more in-depth learning and continuity that is difficult to replicate in the fourth year of medical school. Some of my most cherished patients from residency were ones I met during my Oregon FIRST year: a gentleman I diagnosed with and helped through prostate cancer treatment and into remission. A woman who had her initial OB visit during winter of my MS4 year; she delivered in the fall of my intern year--and I delivered her second child in my third year. It was also an opportunity to build community, both within the residency and outside of it. Having a support system in place as I started intern year was so helpful and allowed me to focus on making the transition from med student to intern. The Oregon FIRST program is a unique and special program, it set me up for success intern year and beyond.
- Lisa Pearson, MD
