Letter from the Department Chair

To our community—

Family medicine begins at first contact and continues throughout a lifetime.

It is built on trust, continuity, and the understanding that health unfolds within families, neighborhoods, and communities, not only exam rooms. When primary care is strong, people live longer, disparities narrow, and communities thrive.

At Boston University Family Medicine, we are committed to advancing this work with a clear vision: making health equity a reality

Our department is diversely talented, focused on realizing that vision and improving the health outcomes of all people, particularly those who are marginalized and historically underserved. Our faculty work across a variety of disciplines, such as surgical obstetrics, addiction medicine, palliative care, and sports medicine. By delivering exceptional family medicine, we model and advance the discipline through clinical care, patient-focused research, health care advocacy, and innovative education.

Family medicine improves well-being by providing continuity of care, coordinating across specialties and systems, and anchoring care within the lived realities of patients and families. Strong family medicine systems are associated with better health outcomes—such as fewer preventable hospitalizations, improved chronic disease control, more preventive care—and lower overall costs. Communities with more family physicians experience longer life expectancy and reduced disparities across income groups.

At Boston University Family Medicine, we advance this impact by training leaders in family medicine and expanding the reach of primary care. Our graduate medical education programs are rigorous, including a top-tier competitive family medicine residency and one of the few combined family medicine/psychiatry residencies in the country. We also offer fellowships in sports medicine, preventive medicine, and academic medicine. Our medical student education is recognized for quality, and our faculty hold leadership roles across the School of Medicine.

We describe our approach as Grow–Serve–Share: growing our people and influence, serving those in need with excellence, and sharing our expertise to strengthen family medicine and the health care system locally and globally.

What distinguishes Boston University Family Medicine is not only our scope (office, hospital, obstetrics, post-partum, and procedures), but the opportunity to practice that scope fully in an urban environment contrasted to a health care-heavy locale where medical specialties are siloed. Here, physicians deliver comprehensive care across settings, lead interdisciplinary teams, shape models of value-based care, and influence health policy and education. We are committed to faculty well-being and professional development at every stage of career. Excellence in care requires a workforce that is supported, challenged, and continually evolving. Our faculty and trainees are not confined to narrow lanes—they are trusted with responsibility, encouraged to innovate, and supported in developing careers that blend clinical excellence, scholarship, leadership, and service.

If you are considering joining us—as a student, resident, fellow, faculty member, or partner—I invite you to explore with us what it means to practice family medicine at scale, with purpose, and with impact. Because we believe that all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, heritage, or neighborhood, deserve a fair opportunity to achieve their full health potential.

If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

Sincerely,
Stephen A. Wilson, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Professor & Chair, Family Medicine
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Chief of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center