My name is Mehran, and I’m currently transitioning into my second year as a family medicine resident at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I chose this specialty with a deep passion for continuity of care and the meaningful relationships that develop when you’re someone’s first point of contact in the healthcare system. Like many medical students, my exposure to family medicine centered around the outpatient setting—clinic visits, preventive care, and chronic disease management. That was my foundation, and it’s what drew me to family medicine in the first place.
Everything shifted during my first month of residency. I was assigned to Medicine Team 6 (MT6)—our residency program’s only inpatient family medicine service. It’s not just another rotation—it’s the only family medicine team at Froedtert Hospital. Initially, I found myself overwhelmed by working in a new hospital, using a different electronic health record, and navigating unfamiliar workflows. But what started as a steep learning curve quickly evolved into something far more profound. I was exposed to a side of family medicine I hadn’t fully appreciated: inpatient care, and more specifically, hospital medicine.
Up until that point, becoming a hospitalist had never crossed my mind. In medical school, hospital medicine wasn’t presented as a common path for family medicine physicians. The focus was often on outpatient tracks like sports medicine, geriatrics, and other subspecialties. While I respect and admire those areas, my time on MT6 opened my eyes to an alternate and equally compelling path.
As first-year residents, we rotate on MT6 three times, including a dedicated one-on-one month with an attending hospitalist. During these rotations, we typically carry four to six patients and cross-cover for two additional teams, sometimes admitting up to eight patients during call shifts. The exposure is broad, and the responsibility is real. You’re not a guest on another team—you’re taking care of patients on the family medicine team. That distinction matters. In that space, I discovered something vital: I thrive in the face of clinical uncertainty.
There is something deeply rewarding about stabilizing a patient in acute distress—whether it’s treating a COPD exacerbation, diuresing someone in heart failure, or initiating treatment for a patient presenting with new-onset diabetic ketoacidosis. The feedback is immediate, the stakes are high, and the impact is tangible. Hospital medicine gives you that in ways the clinic sometimes cannot.
Yet what solidified my passion wasn’t just the acuity—it was how this work expanded my understanding of continuity. On our inpatient service, we care for many patients without a primary care provider, including those slipping through the cracks of a strained system. Some are diagnosed for the first time with advanced illnesses such as metastatic cancer, severe organ failure, or uncontrolled diabetes. Being there at the beginning of their medical journey—and then seeing them again in clinic—allowed me to close a loop that most physicians never experience.
That continuity is powerful. Seeing a patient in clinic who recognizes me from their hospital stay—their face lighting up when they realize the same person who cared for them in crisis is now guiding them through recovery—is an experience I treasure. It’s the very essence of why I chose family medicine, and why I now view hospital medicine not as a detour, but as an extension of my calling.
Of course, with new passion comes new questions. Should I pursue a fellowship? Will I be experienced enough by the end of residency to confidently step into a hospitalist role? Are there opportunities out there for family medicine-trained physicians in hospital medicine?
To the first question, I feel ready. Our program is preparing me well for the “bread and butter” of inpatient medicine. And like any new attending, I expect a learning curve. That’s part of our profession, as medicine is a lifelong learning process. As for the second and third questions, the path isn’t always obvious. Opportunities for family medicine-trained hospitalists may not be as prominently advertised, but I believe the door opens with experience, mentorship, and initiative. For many of us, the first few years are the fellowship.
To any resident reading this who feels uncertain about their path: lean into the unknown. Push beyond the routine discomfort of residency and allow yourself to be surprised. You may find, as I did, that your passion lies where you least expected it. Perhaps you’ll discover it on a team like Medicine Team 6.
Every morning, I wake up knowing how fortunate I am to do this work. The clinic remains my Zen space, where I reflect on the more complex and longitudinal aspects of patient care. As a primary care physician, I know what can happen when early signs are missed, and I’m committed to preventing that trajectory. In the hospital, I see the other side of the story—where patients end up when things fall apart.
For me, family medicine and hospital medicine are not separate paths. They are different chapters of the same patient’s story. Being a family medicine hospitalist challenges me to ask every day: Why is this patient here today? What is the bigger picture? What comes next—and what do they need most from me now?
That’s my story—one year into residency, with a clearer path ahead. Thank you for taking the time to read it. Even if it doesn’t change your career direction, I hope it highlights the unique bond between inpatient and outpatient care through the eyes of a family medicine resident.
Internal medicine and family medicine teams each bring distinct strengths to inpatient care—while internal medicine often leads with subspecialty depth, family medicine contributes a broad, whole-person perspective rooted in continuity. Medically, we are equals, trained to manage complex, acute conditions with the same rigor and clinical skill. Together, we complement one another, and as hospitalists, we share a common mission: to provide timely, compassionate, and coordinated care for every patient who walks through the hospital doors.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to those who have guided me. Thank you to Dr. Camille Garrison, my program director, and to our inspiring inpatient leaders, Dr. Beth Damitz and Dr. William Calawerts. Thank you to the entire Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin family medicine residency program—North Side for creating space for growth, curiosity, and exploration. And thank you to the Society of Hospital Medicine for being a beacon of support, learning, and community for people like me who are taking the first steps in this journey.
Dr. Mortazavi
Dr. Mortazavi is a PGY-1 family medicine resident at Froedtert Hospital, Medical College of Wisconsin.