Residency prepares physicians to help local patients
Jan. 8—Dr. Kevin Beltré grew up in Philadelphia, but the physician found a new home in Scranton.
Beltré, 32, completed the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education's Regional Family Medical Residency in December and plans to remain local; he signed on to work in outpatient services in family medicine for the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Dickson City starting in early March.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, formed in 1976, aims to develop a steady flow of physicians to meet growing patient demand and address continued shortages of health care professionals across the country and, more importantly, locally.
As he completed his studies at the Commonwealth Medical College — now Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine — in Scranton, Beltré developed an affinity for Northeast Pennsylvania.
"Even though I'm from Philadelphia, I like the more slow-paced environment this area has to offer," Beltré said. "I grew fond of the area after being a resident here and if I want to go to Philadelphia or New York City, it's only two hours away. Overall, I think this area suits my personality more."
A positive experience at the local medical school led Beltré to apply for the residency.
"It was definitely a good experience," he said. "It was a smaller medical school, so I had a lot of support and guidance, including one-on-one teaching with professors. I think having that experience made my residency even better because I worked with some of the doctors. I give my medical school credit for where I am today."
A shift he made several years ago from emergency medicine to family medicine also affected his decision to pursue the opportunity with the Wright Center.
"The specialty itself wasn't everything I thought it was ... everything I thought I wanted it to be," Beltré said. "Essentially, I got burnt out from that high-paced, irregular work-hour environment. I decided to change career goals and it was definitely a change for the better because I love what I do now."
Dr. William Dempsey, deputy chief medical officer for the Wright Center for Community Health, called Beltré a shining example of the importance of the program.
"Dr. Beltré's journey in many ways exemplifies why the Wright Center exists," Dempsey said. "He's a bright, empathetic physician who grew up in this state, did his training with us and now will apply his skills and knowledge in this community for the benefit of local residents — possibly for decades."
Beltré said hands-on training through the residency prepared him well for the rest of his medical career.
"They really give you good structure and throw you in there with different complexities of patients," he said. "It was a good experience and I'm looking forward to the next step in life."
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