Willmar Rural Residency Program
Specialize in rural primary care: Help meet the growing need for rural family physicians
Across Minnesota, the need for family medicine physicians in rural communities is greater than ever—and it’s expected to grow even more in the years to come.
To address this gap, the University of Minnesota/CentraCare Willmar Rural Family Medicine Residency Program will start in June 2025. Residents complete one year of training with the University of Minnesota/CentraCare St. Cloud Residency program and then two years of training with Willmar rural health system providers. Graduates will be fully equipped to serve the primary care needs of non-metropolitan, underserved populations. Apply in ERAS in September of 2024.
Training will include ambulatory family medicine, maternity care, behavioral health, inpatient medicine, emergency medicine, orthopedics and sports medicine, addiction medicine, geriatrics, and more.
Join us in bridging the gap: Become trained in rural Midwest primary care
The University of Minnesota/CentraCare Willmar Rural Family Medicine Residency Program will emphasize community-oriented training and population health while increasing healthcare access in rural areas.
Apply, benefits and residency resources
CentraCare - Willmar Lakeland Clinic
Part of the CentraCare system, the clinic offers specialties in breast care, family medicine, integrated behavioral health, and more. Read about the CentraCare - Willmar Lakeland Clinic.
CentraCare - St. Cloud Hospital
- A 489-bed regional, tertiary care medical center with a community hospital feel
- Magnet designation in recognition of excellence in nursing
- Nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report and Thomson Reuters
CentraCare - Rice Memorial Hospital
- 100-bed regional support hospital
- Level III Trauma Center
- UMN Dental Training and Access Clinic
- Willmar Cancer Center
- 700 child-births annually
- Inpatient mental health
Learn more about CentraCare - Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.
Did you know?
The Association of American Medical Colleges document “The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections from 2017 to 2032” notes that, as of 2017, an additional 14,100 to 17,600 physicians were needed in nonmetropolitan areas in order to give underserved populations the same access to care as populations facing fewer barriers. Learn more.
Your Training
Rotation sites
Your family medicine continuity clinic experience will be at the CentraCare Willmar Lakeland Clinic.
You will also rotate in the following sites:
- CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital
- CentraCare Rice Memorial Hospital
- CentraCare Ambulatory Clinics in St. Cloud and Willmar
- St. Cloud Ear Nose and Throat
- St. Cloud VA Health System
- Regional Critical Access Hospitals – Litchfield, Redwood Falls, Montevideo, Benson, Paynesville (possible electives)
Curriculum
Your experiences will be tailored to prepare you to serve in a rural area, specifically maternity care, emergency medicine, inpatient care, and addiction services including procedures such as POCUS, colonoscopy, stress testing, and other skills needed to deliver care in a rural area.
While a resident in the program, you will complete rotations in the following areas:
- Family medicine inpatient
- Family medicine outpatient
- Critical care
- Pediatrics
- Maternity care
- Women’s health
- Emergency medicine
- Surgery
- Orthopedics and sports medicine
- Infectious disease
- Psychiatry
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Geriatrics
- Community medicine
- Neurology
- Nephrology
- Endoscopy
- ENT
- ICU
- PICU
- Urology
- Research
- Electives
About the Willmar community
With a population of about 21,045 (as of 2021), Willmar is a city in the county of Kandiyohi about two hours west of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The city is known for its beautiful lakes and parks, abundant fishing, hiking and biking trails, golfing, and community events.
Willmar has an increasingly diverse student population, according to its school district:
- Students are 42 percent Latinx/Hispanic, 36 percent white, 15 percent African American/Black, and 4 percent Asian.
- All communications are sent out in four languages.
- 22 percent of all district students are English learners.
Find out more about the population breakdown, median income, and other information.
Contact Us
Rick Wehseler, MD
Program Director
richard.wehseler@centracare.com
Mollyanne Gardner
Program Administrator
mollyanne.gardner@centracare.com
Willmar Rural Residency Program
CentraCare - Willmar Lakeland Clinic
502 2nd St SW
Willmar, MN 56201
Willmar Rural Student Opportunities
Rotations
We welcome medical students from U.S. LCME-accredited or COCA-accredited medical schools for two- to four-week rotations.
For more information about medical student opportunities, contact Molly Gardner, Mollyanne.Gardner@centracare.com
