A review of the numbers provides encouragement to both preceptors and students

Aarohi Munshi, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine and Family Medicine Clerkship Director, Department of Family and Community Medicine

We’re already two blocks into the new academic year and hope everyone is having a positive and rewarding experience working with our students. Your role as preceptors continues to be essential in shaping their clinical skills, professional development and overall understanding of family medicine.

As I reflect on the last academic year, I am proud to share some outstanding outcomes, thanks in large part to your continued dedication as preceptors. Our students achieved an average National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) score of 76.2, slightly above the national average. Honors were awarded to 61% of students, with 35% earning High Pass and 4% receiving a Pass; notably, there were no exam failures.

Beyond scores, the learning environment you helped foster speaks volumes: 95% of students reported receiving useful feedback from attendings and residents after direct observation; 97% felt they were given appropriate responsibility for their patients; and 100% were directly observed performing histories and physical exams.

These numbers reflect what I already know to be true of our preceptors as engaged, committed educators shaping the next generation of physicians. Your willingness to offer feedback, grant autonomy and provide meaningful clinical experiences is invaluable. Please continue sharing your insights, both written and verbal, and offering students the hands-on opportunities that define a strong clerkship. I cannot thank you enough for your time, mentorship and dedication.

Joseph Garry, MD, FAAFP, FACSM, Head, Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine

The Department of Family and Community Medicine has a host of updates spanning this most recent academic year:

We welcomed three UICOMR Integrated Family Medicine Residency Program students as PGY1 residents as of June 23: Drs. Julia King, Alex Thomas and Jenna Lafferty. The program allows accepted fourth-year medical students interested in family medicine to complete a clinical and mentoring curriculum with our department that guarantees them to be ranked to match with the UICOMR Family Medicine Residency Program. Students also receive a stipend to assist with their educational debt.

The Family Medicine Residency Program recruited nine incoming residents this year, as it will do moving forward. This is an increase from our previous complement of seven residents per year.

Our advanced and surgical obstetrics track, Structured Training for Rural Enhancement of Community Health in Obstetrics (STRETCH-OB), continues to be successful as the only program of its kind in the country. We are awaiting notification from the Health Resources and Services Administration on whether it will continue to fund this program in our fifth and final year. Our most recent graduate, Dr. Stephanie Werner, completed over 150 vaginal deliveries and over 100 C-sections as the primary surgeon, in addition to completing all of her competencies and board certification in family medicine. We will have three PGY3 residents, two PGY2 residents and potentially four PGY1 residents in the program this upcoming academic year.

The Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program received accreditation, and we are currently recruiting a fellow to start in July 2026. Dr. Molly Perri will join our faculty in August 2025 as our new Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director. Dr. Perri completed her medical degree at UIC, a medicine-pediatrics residency at the University of Chicago, and her addiction medicine fellowship at Yale University.

Dr. TJ Webb, who is the director of our Doctoring and Clinical Skills course, obtained his board certification in addiction medicine this year.

Dr. Mohammad Khandwala joined our faculty this year. He came to us from Hennepin County Medicine Center where he completed his family medicine residency and most recently his geriatrics fellowship. The department is continuing to recruit highly accomplished and talented physicians to assist in our clinical and educational programs.

We submitted a highly competitive grant application for $2,500,000 in funding for a street medicine initiative under the direction of Dr. Rhonda Verzal with other department faculty, Drs. Aarohi Munshi, Webb, Perri and Manorama Khare, and in collaboration with the UICOMC Department of Family and Community Medicine.

The residency program faculty continues to be very busy clinically with over 28,000 outpatient visits to Mile Square Health Center-L.P. Johnson Rockford and over 10,000 inpatient visits at UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital.

Kathleen Monteleone, MPH, Associate Director of Community Engagement and Development, Research Associate II, Division of Health Research and Evaluation, 
Department of Family and Community Medicine

University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford faculty, residents and medical students continued to engage with the Rockford community throughout the Spring. 

Under the guidance of Dr. Aarohi Munshi, the Neighborhood Health Hub has successfully increased the number of screening participants from the Booker Washington neighborhood. Sixteen individuals were seen in June and four received the COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024-2025 season. Dr. Firas Darwiche, a second-year family medicine resident, along with seven third-year medical students provided blood pressure checks, physical exams, medical education and medication reviews.

On June 9, 2025, Dr. Munshi and student volunteers participated in the Irving Avenue Strong House Block Party, proudly supported by the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford. The students offered free health screenings, including health education, blood pressure checks and essential health assessments to community residents of all ages.

Irving Strong House is a community-supported facility located in Rockford. Through partnerships with various local organizations, it provides multiple programs and services that benefit the neighborhood. These include educational opportunities, mental health and addiction support and resources to foster hope among families. Additionally, the center is dedicated to enhancing relationships between residents and law enforcement while ensuring access to essential programs and services for everyone.

If you're a new preceptor — or know a physician who’s interested in getting involved with medical student education — please explore the helpful links below to get started and stay supported in your teaching journey.

Reference Links:

Department of Family and Community Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford
1601 Parkview Ave., Rockford, IL 61107
email: lburkart@uic.edu
web: rockford.medicine.uic.edu