Hooked on Primary Care with Patrick D. Glasgow, MD
Family medicine intuitively means a sense of community as well as a versatility to practice medicine in a variety of settings.
As a student, there were so many options and opportunities to learn and grow, but the clinical clerkship years really cemented my decision.
My family medicine rotation was the first rotation of clerkship, and I remember being so eager to apply what I had learned. The environment was nurturing, supportive, and I was impressed by how easily these practitioners toggled between hospital and outpatient clinics and were able to provide full-spectrum care. I found myself so engrossed by the clinical experience that I actually volunteered to be on call at the hospital. I remember practicing suturing with the chief resident during downtime and rolling out with a resident to the ED for a hospital admission or to check on a patient in the hospital. I also remember being part of a code team for a crashing patient and participating in the outpatient clinic as well. The whole experience just seemed all-encompassing.
Later, as I embarked on other rotations, I could appreciate the value of those experiences as well and met some wonderful teachers as a result.
Ironically, when it was time to submit residency applications, given my positive clerkship experiences, I was not sure what specialty to apply to. However, when I really thought about it, my heart was with family medicine.
It is such a privilege to be a part of this group of professionals. The family physician role has allowed me to personally grow, work with a community, foster relationships and develop continuity of care.
Patrick D. Glasgow, MD
Clinical assistant professor
Department of family medicine
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biosciences
University at Buffalo