About Us

 

Our Story

In 1975, family medicine doctors across the state made a promise to all North Dakotans. As long as there are people who feel called to care for others, there would be a program to foster excellent family physicians inspired to treat patients through every stage of life.

Still a prevalent issue today, rural communities in North Dakota and around the nation were struggling with a lack of access to quality medical care. So, the University of North Dakota’s newly accredited Department of Family Medicine set out to design a program that would fulfill the need then and well into the future. With more faculty per capita than any other department of Family Medicine in the country, caring for underserved populations was at the heart of this mission. A residency training program launched in each quadrant of the state; a de-centralized system meant to bring care to all. 

The Family Practice Center in Minot opened in 1975. Bismarck’s came a year later. While the residency training programs in Fargo and Grand Forks would eventually take a different form, the “University of North Dakota” centers in Bismarck and Minot remained committed to providing service to the community through education. Today, the clinics partner with major hospitals in Bismarck and Minot as resident doctors train alongside faculty family physicians in a variety of specialties.

Over the last 50 years, we are proud to have graduated hundreds of doctors who continue to practice in North Dakota or other rural communities. Program graduates and faculty include some of the most well-respected and impactful medical professionals in North Dakota history.

Whether it’s our faculty, staff, or resident doctors, we are all here for the same reason. We answered our calling. We are each deeply motivated to do the very best for the patient and the community.

In a world where medical care has too often become impersonal, cost-prohibitive, and understaffed, the UND Center for Family Medicine is here for you without question or compromise. That is our promise to you.