2025 Family Medicine Graduates Share Advice and Their Future Plans
Whether just having completed family medicine residency or a fellowship, this year’s family medicine graduates have taken their next exciting steps toward furthering their careers. We spoke with a few newly minted alumni about their plans for the months and years ahead. Some also offered words of advice for medical students who are interested in pursuing family medicine.
Words of advice for the future generation of family medicine physicians
“I have always considered primary care as the cornerstone to a healthier future,” said Ellis Fualefeh-Morfaw, MD, a recent graduate of North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program. “Thus, as you step into the world of family medicine at the University of Minnesota, remember that you will be the backbone of primary care, a field that embodies continuity, comprehensive patient care, and collaboration. You will care for patients across all stages of life, managing a broad spectrum of conditions while fostering long-term relationships built on trust. Your ability to diagnose, treat, follow up, and coordinate with other specialties is what will make family medicine indispensable.”
Dr. Fualefeh-Morfaw continues: “Medical training is demanding, and can be challenging, but your willingness to learn, adapt, and work alongside colleagues will fuel your resilience. Support each other, embrace the breadth of knowledge, and never lose sight of the profound impact you make in people’s lives. Also take time to enjoy small wins. Every patient encounter is an opportunity to refine your skills and deepen your understanding of holistic care. Strive to be the best, not just for your own success, but for the communities that depend on you. Welcome to a field where learning never stops, and where dedication shapes the future of healthcare.”
In terms of the next steps of his career, it’s “TBD, honestly. It would be determined by the opportunities that present themselves. I am interested in sports medicine.”
A graduate of the St. John’s Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program, Mitchell Moe, MD, shares his guidance while acknowledging that there are things he continues to strive for.
“My biggest piece of advice (which I myself need to continue working towards) is to set boundaries early to keep you and your loved ones well during this challenging chapter of life. Could you sit on Epic and tweak your notes to perfection all night every night? Yea. Should you do that? Absolutely not! If you don’t draw the lines now as a resident, you’re very likely not going to do it as an attending either.”
Dr. Moe is headed up to the gateway to the Boundary Waters (a.k.a. Ely, Minnesota), where he will be doing outpatient, inpatient, and colonoscopies with Essentia Health.
Methodist Hospital Family Medicine Residency graduate Madison Duppenthaler, MD, had this to say to new and potential family medicine residents:
“Be open to all of the learning opportunities presented to you in residency. You never know what additional interests will catch your eye! You are intelligent and capable, but never hesitate to reach out to co-residents and attendings for support. Call shifts are tough! The morning will always come, and a positive attitude makes a big difference!”
Dr. Duppenthaler is off to the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, to practice full-time outpatient primary care.
Superior training across the state of Minnesota
Learn more about our residency programs on our website. We have 10* family medicine residency programs across Minnesota — five focused on rural health in Greater Minnesota and five in the Twin Cities — and five fellowships.
*As of July 2025, our Lakewood Rural residency program is pending ACGME accreditation.
