Family Medicine Founders Interview: Tom Leaman, MD, Founding Chair, Dept of Family and Community Medicine, Hershey Med Ctr of Penn State University

Dr Synonymous Show November 16, 2010 8-9 PM ET  www.blogtalkradio.com/drsynonymous

Introduction and Disclaimer
Patient Blog: http://bit.ly/9F9uak

Medical Student blog:  The Future of Family Medicine  http://bit.ly/cYY861

Dr Synonymous: his training in the 70’s in Hershey, PA under Dr Leaman & Residency Dir Ted Kantner, MD

Introduction of Special Guest, Tom Leaman, MD Founding Chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Milton S Hershey Medical Center of Penn State University

Thanks again for an incredible experience for me and my family in Hershey, PA from 1976-1979!

How did you decide to start the first clinical department in the new Hershey Medical Center?  Why Family Medicine first?

What sort of practice did you have before moving into the Medical Center?

What was the feeling that lead to all this happening in the little town of Hershey?  How was the town before and after the arrival of the Med Ctr?

How did medical care in Hershey change during the transition? How did the local physicians respond?

Who were the people supporting this new adventure?

How did you get faculty for the Department?  How did everyone adjust to an academic environment?

How did the town react?  Your patients?  Your family?

How did it all evolve? (to deliver the wonderful training experience to me and my peers and many others)

What were the fun aspects of starting the Department and moving into the Med Ctr?

What kind of difficulties were there?  Was budget development fun?

How long did you continue in the Department?

You served as President of the Society of teachers of Family Medicine, too?  What was that like?

What other founders did you know?  Did they all share in the adventure?

Anything we should fix about family medicine or FM training?

How are the founders and their vision remembered?

What does it mean to you to have a career as a family physician?

Other comments or thoughts, Tom

Thanks again for your service to humanity, patients, students, residents, physicians, and your community!

We'll continue to introduce the Human Centered Health Home next week on Tuesday night at 8 PM on BTR