Planting Roots after Residency

By Leslie Mikell

Since his junior year of high school, Dr. Kwame Brown knew he wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Two things inspired him to choose Family Medicine as his specialty: his time spent before medical school completing a master’s degree in a rural area, and a book he found in a local thrift store about the practice of family medicine. 

Near his completion of medical school, he concluded a training rotation at McLeod Health Cheraw, and fell in love with the environment. In Spring 2021, he was accepted into the McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency Program.

As his time in the program came to an end, Dr. Brown had no doubt in his mind where he would go next.

“Cheraw became like a family to me. After working in this community, getting to know the nursing staff and administration, and connecting with my patients, I knew I belonged here,” he recalls. 

A member of the second cohort of the Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Brown graduated from the program in Summer 2024. He joined the faculty of the McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency in Cheraw and now cares for patients at McLeod Primary Care Cheraw.

“Teaching medicine has always been a goal of mine, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to join the faculty at this point in my career,” he adds.

Dr. Brown attributes the successes on his journey to his physician mentors at McLeod, both in the residency program and on medical staff, and to his wife, Victoria.

“Without their unwavering support throughout my training years, I would not be where I am today,” Dr. Brown shares.

McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency Program

McLeod Health offers two Family Medicine Rural Residency Programs to improve access to primary care in rural communities. The first class of residents joined the Cheraw and Clarendon communities in June 2020. The mission of the McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency Programs is to train and graduate skilled physicians who are well-rounded and able to treat the unique conditions of patients within rural and underserved areas.

The rural program includes training with the core residency program located at McLeod Regional Medical Center (MRMC) in Florence, SC. MRMC is where Family Medicine training has been provided for the past 40 years. During their first year, the residents are trained in advanced ICU, geriatrics, obstetric and pediatric skills in addition to the training they receive in Cheraw and Clarendon.

The focus of the residency programs includes time spent at the training hospitals, McLeod Health Cheraw and McLeod Health Clarendon. The residents also help improve access to primary care services by providing care to patients at McLeod Primary Care Cheraw and McLeod Primary Care Clarendon.