The Department of Family Medicine was established in 1970 by the governor and General Assembly of the commonwealth and charged with the mission of preparing competent family physicians for the people of Virginia, while contributing to the knowledge that improves the quality of care they receive. We have had tremendous success: We have helped train thousands of medical students and approximately 1,400 family medicine residents. Today, almost 1,300 of these individuals are practicing in rural, suburban, and urban Virginia communities and provide care for an estimated 2 million Virginians. Read more about our Mission, Vision and Values.