Director's Message

Welcome to the Department of Family Medicine! Ours is a place of special people who are making a difference in the lives of our patients, our trainees and each other. We are actively engaged in institutional, state, national and international work that impacts patient care, medical education and health policy.

Since our beginning in 1973, we have trained over 390 family physicians, the majority of whom remain in Mississippi, while others practice from California to South Africa. Whether it be as a traditional full scope family physician, a hospitalist, an emergency room physician, a health department physician or administrator, an academic faculty or a medical missionary, our graduates feel confident and prepared to deliver quality health care to their patients.

We recognize the value in a team approach to patient care and learning. Our clinical psychology faculty, along with our health psychology fellows and our PharmD faculty, play an integral role in both caring for our patients’ needs and educating learners. Our application to become a NCQA certified Patient Centered Medical Home is nearly complete and has helped us improve and transform our practice.

As a department that was first at our institution to use personal electronic devices for patient care and an electronic health record, we continue to push the cutting edge of technology, having installed Kiosks this year in our Family Medicine Centers for patient check-in and check-out. We continue to emphasize point-of-care evidence-based medicine and quality benchmarking.

Browse through the accomplishments of our faculty and see the many national, state and institutional committees and leadership positions they hold. By getting involved, we have a voice for our patients and in our educational system.

Come, join us and learn both the science and the art of Family Medicine in a community and a university setting. Prepare yourself for the many opportunities open to you as a family physician.

We are cognizant of our respected past, proud of our present and excited about our future.

As you browse through our pages of information, we hope you capture the sense of commitment we have to making a difference, but I also hope you capture the sense of family that we are as we work, train and play together. All of that which makes our department special.

Shannon D. Pittman, MD
Professor and Chair