The primary purpose of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan is to:

Increase the availability of quality primary health care to residents of the United States through the advancement and demonstration of the principles of family medicine as an academic discipline.

In support of this purpose, the most critical functions we perform are:

• Provision of quality family medicine education across the continuum of medical education.
• Conduct of original research which advances the knowledge base of the specialty and improves the quality of care delivered.
• Delivery of family medicine based medical care which meets the needs of patients and serves as a model for primary care education and research.
• Promotion of the principles of family medicine at the local, state and national levels.
• Enhancement of faculty skills and careers consistent with individual and department needs.

The core values and principles which will guide the Department in the fulfillment of this mission are:

• Relationships which respect diversity and foster collegiality.
• Integration of biomedical, humanistic and psychosocial principles in teaching, research and patient care.
• Commitment to the principles and practices of continuous quality improvement.
• Collaboration with other specialties and organizations in the pursuit of common goals.
• Advocacy for quality of life for all members of the Department.
• Responsiveness to unmet societal and community needs.