Inaugural Family Medicine Residency Class Begins Training at Lowell Community Health Center
Lowell Community Health Center today welcomed the first class of residents in the Lowell Community Health Center | Tufts Medicine | Family Medicine Residency as they begin their training and start caring for patients in Greater Lowell.
The six resident physicians were greeted by staff as they arrived at the health center on Monday morning, before joining staff, faculty, board members, and partners from Tufts Medicine for a small welcome reception marking the occasion.
“Today marks an exciting milestone for Lowell Community Health Center as we welcome our first class of Family Medicine residents,” said Susan West Levine, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of Lowell Community Health Center. “Our inaugural class brings together physicians whose experiences span Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Arizona, India, Ghana, and beyond, along with multiple languages, educational paths, and life experiences. That breadth of experience will enrich both their training and the care they provide as they begin serving patients throughout Greater Lowell.”
“The launch of this family medicine residency represents a major milestone in our mission to deliver innovative, system-wide medical education,” said Kari E. Roberts, MD, Vice President for Education, Tufts Medicine; Associate Chief Medical Officer for Graduate Medical Education, Tufts Medical Center; Academic Dean for Tufts Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine Tufts University School of Medicine. “Training our residents directly within the community provides them with invaluable, hands-on clinical experiences while directly serving the needs of patients and families. We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional physicians and look forward to seeing how they will shape the future of primary care.”
This new program builds upon Tufts Medicine’s educational commitment to strengthen the region’s healthcare workforce. Each year, the health system helps educate and train thousands of future professionals, including medical, nursing, and physician assistant students, pharmacy residents and many others to meet the growing needs of our communities.
The Lowell Community Health Center | Tufts Medicine | Family Medicine Residency offers rigorous, community-based training focused on clinical excellence and primary care. Based at Lowell Community Health Center and developed in partnership with Tufts Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine, the residency prepares future physicians to deliver care that is compassionate, evidence-based, and responsive to the needs of patients and families.
Residents train alongside Lowell Community Health Center physician faculty who also serve as faculty of Tufts University School of Medicine, combining academic strength with meaningful connection to patients and the community. In addition to their outpatient continuity clinic at Lowell Community Health Center, residents complete inpatient training at Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital, ensuring a well-rounded experience across care settings.
The residency represents an important investment in the future of primary care in Greater Lowell. With the United States projected to face a shortage of more than 68,000 primary care physicians by 2036, residencies like this one help strengthen the physician workforce while expanding access to care in the communities they serve. Once fully established with 18 residents in training, the residency will create capacity for approximately 5,000 primary care patients at Lowell Community Health Center and will graduate six new Family Medicine physicians each year.
