Page 21 - Delaware Medical Journal - July/August 2019

DIMER
the needs in the First State. This plan will assist in recruiting, retaining, and developing future Delaware physicians.
The future of DIMER remains bright and our relationship with our two medical schools is strong. As a critical program for the State and for all
health providers/systems, DIMER
must be maintained and strengthened. The power of partnerships spanning Delaware and Philadelphia institutions is an important one and, with new ideas and partners, shows every sign of being even more vibrant and active in the next 50 years.
The DIMER board requests the entire medical community to encourage
our state leadership to support our efforts to educate Delawareans. These future physicians are the hope of
our communities and the future of improved access to care and better health outcomes in our great State of Delaware.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
■ SHERMAN L. TOWNSEND is the Chair of the Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research. He served as a trustee of the University of Delaware for 30 years and was one of the founders of the Delaware Community Foundation. He is a retired First Vice President of Merrill Lynch and resides in Dover.
■ Acknowledgment
DR. OMAR KHAN provided helpful comments and input on a draft of this manuscript.
REFERENCES
1. Martz EW. The Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research (DIMER). Del Med J. 1975 Jun;47(6):318-21,323
2. Little BW. 100 years of Graduate Medical Education in Wilmington, Delaware. Del Med J. 2002 Jul;74(7):309-19.
3. Martz EW. Editorial: Should Delaware Have a Medical School? Del Med J. 1975 Jul;47(7):373-5.
4. Delaware Health Sciences Alliance. www.dhsa.org. Accessed May 17, 2019.
5. State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP). https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dhcc/slrp.html Accessed May 17, 2019.
6. DHSS Releases 2018 Study Showing a Continuing Decline in Primary Care Physicians Across the State. https://news.delaware.gov/2019/01/02/primary-care-doctors. Accessed May 16, 2019.
7. Budd, K. 7 Ways to Reduce Medical School Debt. Association of American Medical Colleges. https:// news.aamc.org/medical-education/article/7-ways-reduce-medical-school-debt. October 9, 2018.
I could determine, the DIMER program could help me along this journey.
Starting from my first day at SKMC, the DIMER program was important
to my development both directly and indirectly. Financially, the DIMER program helped to provide desperately needed funding for tuition. As a family medicine physician, every dollar helps. More informally, the DIMER program helped me toward my career in primary care. As a second-year medical student, my fellow students led me
to discover SKMC’s Delaware Branch Campus at Christiana Care Health System (CCHS). As part of the DIMER Program, I was able to complete all of my third- and fourth-year clinical rotations through CCHS.
By staying on one clinical campus, I was able to get used to one health system
and electronic medical record. I was able to see patients across specialties; I saw patients in the emergency room whom I then saw in their primary care provider’s office or operating room.
This experience allowed for much of
the stress and worry to dissolve that normally comes with rapidly changing not only clinical rotations, but also site. I could simply take care of patients. Additionally, I got to spend time with physicians who were previous DIMER program participants and had stayed
to practice locally. They were able to provide guidance beyond the subject of medical care. They welcomed me into my local medical community and helped illuminate the needs of the patients in my backyard.
Largely due to my earlier DIMER experiences, I pursued a residency in Family Medicine at CCHS. I currently
practice as a primary care provider and faculty member for the Christiana Care Family Medicine Residency Program. Through my work, I am able to take care of my community while teaching young physicians and students.
The DIMER program was crucial in
my development as a clinician. As a primary care provider and Delawarean,
I urge continued support of the DIMER program. We need smart, hardworking, innovative doctors to fall in love with our community, grow roots, and continue to help elevate the health of our patients and neighbors.
Ashley Panichelli, MD is a family physician working for the Family Medicine Residency Program at Christiana Care.
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