Across FMOL Health, graduate medical education (GME) is more than a training pathway. It is a long-term investment in strengthening care for the communities we serve.
Through three GME programs at FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake, FMOL Health | St. Francis and the LSU Rural Family Medicine Residency at FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa, residents and fellows gain hands-on experience in environments designed to support their growth and prepare them for the future of medicine.
Each program has its own strengths, but all share a common purpose. They create a pipeline of well-trained physicians who understand our culture, our patients and the unique needs of Louisiana. As a result, many graduates choose to stay and practice here, continuing the cycle of service that began during their training.
Why Teaching Hospitals Matter
Teaching hospitals play an essential role in delivering high-quality, forward-looking patient care. Residents learn alongside experienced physicians, gaining exposure to a wide range of clinical situations while helping to expand access for patients.
Having residents on campus also strengthens the health system’s ability to meet evolving care needs. As new specialties grow, so does the need for physicians trained in those fields.
“We are working to make sure our residents are educated in our community and in our culture from the beginning,” says Lauryn Modenbach, director of Academic Affairs at Our Lady of the Lake. “There is something special about that because our culture is very unique and very diverse.”
This investment pays off in long-term workforce stability. Many residents remain in Louisiana, often choosing to practice within our health system. Modenbach notes that more than half of recent residents in certain programs have stayed in-state, contributing to care locally.
Teaching hospitals also create meaningful partnerships with medical schools. Third- and fourth-year medical students rotate on our campuses, building early ties that can shape their career path.
That exposure at this stage is crucial.
“Medical students are our pipeline,” Modenbach explains. Their first experiences in medicine often happen here, and that connection matters when they choose where to train.”
Graduate Medical Education at Our Lady of the Lake
As one of the largest academic medical centers in Louisiana, Our Lady of the Lake hosts more than 400 residents and fellows from a variety of partner programs. The majority train through LSU, with additional residents from Tulane and other institutions, but Our Lady of the Lake also sponsors its own pediatric residency program.
This mixture of programs creates a rich, academic environment where learners gain exposure to complex cases within a high-volume regional referral center. Residents train both at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, which together function as one academic campus. Residents rotate through trauma services, inpatient units, clinics and specialty areas, often working closely with multiple teams across both facilities.
The health system’s partnership with LSU is especially important. LSU residents based in Baton Rouge complete the bulk of their training at Our Lady of the Lake, while others from New Orleans rotate through for weeks or months at a time to gain access to specialized cases available only here. To support those traveling residents, the hospital maintains dedicated housing nearby.
The pediatric residency program, fully sponsored and managed by Our Lady of the Lake, is a point of pride. With its own faculty, chiefs and program leadership, it is designed to prepare young physicians to deliver exceptional care through the lens of how pediatric healthcare needs are different than adults. .The program reflects not only strong clinical training but a sense of belonging.
“When residents train here, they become part of our culture. That makes it very easy for them to stay and continue serving our community,” Modenbach says.
The campus also supports several fellowships, allowing physicians to continue their training in subspecialty fields. As the health system grows, additional fellowships are under consideration to meet community needs and expand academic opportunities.
Graduate Medical Education at St. Francis Medical Center
St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe offers the Internal Medicine Residency Program and the recently accredited Family Medicine Residency Program that focus on training physicians who want to care for patients in a community-based setting. Residents gain hands-on experience with a wide range of conditions and become integrated into the day-to-day rhythm of patient care across the hospital.
The programs emphasize the importance of building a supportive environment where residents feel both challenged and encouraged.
“What makes this program special is the sense of community,” says Katy Temple, director of Academic Affairs at St. Francis. “Our residents learn in a place where they can grow, ask questions, and feel supported as they develop into confident physicians.”
St. Francis provides residents with robust clinical experience across inpatient and outpatient settings, complemented by one-on-one mentorship from faculty who are deeply committed to teaching. The programs also emphasize service to the region. Many residents choose to practice in northeast Louisiana after graduation, helping to strengthen access to primary and specialty care across rural communities.
LSU Rural Family Medicine Residency
The only one in Louisiana and one of just 55 in the nation, the LSU Rural Family Medicine Residency Program is built for physicians who want full-scope family medicine training in a rural, underserved setting. Based at Our Lady of the Angels in Bogalusa, the program offers residents the opportunity to care for patients across the lifespan in both inpatient and outpatient environments.
As an unopposed program, residents gain hands-on experience managing adult and pediatric care, labor and delivery, newborn care, emergency medicine and intensive care. With approximately 240 deliveries each year and nearly 20,000 emergency department visits, residents are deeply involved in patient care and clinical decision-making from the start.
“The mission of our Rural Family Medicine Residency Program is to educate well-trained physicians for practice in underserved areas, especially rural Louisiana,” says Program Director Frederick Stone, MD. “The rural setting at Our Lady of the Angels Health enables residents to experience patient care across multiple settings, and they are truly on the frontline.”
The program’s interdisciplinary approach prepares residents to care for complex patients while building strong relationships within the community they serve.
Keeping Expert Care Close to Home
Graduate medical education is one of the most powerful ways the health system builds a strong future for care in Louisiana. By training residents across multiple campuses and specialties, the health system not only supports the next generation of physicians but also ensures that patients today and tomorrow can count on compassionate, expert care close to home.
