Welcome to the Dixon (Illinois) Rural Training Track (RTT) in Family Medicine Residency website.

The Dixon RTT is a progressive, three-year residency program for family physicians-in-training who are deeply committed to establishing a Family Medicine career in a rural setting. Established in 2004, the program is an affiliate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, and community-based Katherine Shaw Bethea (KSB) Hospital in Dixon. Dixon, with a population of about 16,000, is located 45 minutes southwest of Rockford — Illinois' third largest city — with a population of 150,000.

The first year of the program is spent primarily in Rockford, with concentration on inpatient rotations. Once a week, residents travel to Dixon to begin to develop a Family Medicine model office continuity panel. Second- and third-year residents spend most of their time in Dixon with a combination of specialty and continuity patient panel activities. Further, the RTT offers a wide variety of procedural training, including colposcopy and minor surgeries. A C-section track is also available in the Rockford portion of the program, and a number of electives are also available, including overseas electives.

Dixon and Rockford are wonderful, family-oriented communities, boasting warm Midwestern hospitality and terrific quality-of-life attributes. Dixon and Rockford both possess large parks and recreational systems, and an abundance of outstanding and exciting outdoor recreation opportunities are at each city's doorsteps. And with Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee each less than two hours away, big-city cultural and recreational assets are within easy reach.

The decision you will make in the next few months with regard to your residency training will have a significant impact upon your professional career as a Family Medicine physician, and your personal life. We are proud of the Dixon RTT program in its abilities to enrich the education, career, and lives of each one of its residents.

Thank you for taking the time here today to learn about our very special rural residency program. We look forward to any questions or comments you may have, and we welcome your interest in joining us.

Merry Demko, MD

Site Director, Dixon Rural Training Track

University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford