The Shiprock–University of New Mexico Family Medicine Residency Program offers one of the most distinctive family medicine training experiences in the country. As the first federally sponsored Indian Health Service residency program and the only residency located on the Navajo Nation (Diné Bikéyah), the program prepares physicians to deliver full-spectrum family medicine while partnering closely with Native communities and embracing the principles of culturally responsive, community-centered care.

Following a 1+2 training model, residents complete their intern year at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque before spending two years at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock. There, residents care for patients across the continuum of care—including inpatient medicine, obstetrics, emergency medicine, ICU, outpatient clinics, school-based health, home visits, and community outreach—while working alongside experienced faculty in a rural, high-impact practice environment.

With just two residents per class, the program offers exceptional faculty mentorship, extensive procedural experience, and meaningful relationships with patients and the communities they serve. Graduates leave prepared to practice comprehensive rural family medicine anywhere, carrying with them a deep understanding of Indigenous health, rural healthcare delivery, and the power of community partnership.