The Congress of Delegates reaffirmed its commitment to student and resident participation in Academy governance by asking the Board of Directors to re-establish the Commission on Resident and Student Issues.
The request came in a resolution adopted by the Congress that asks the Board to re-establish the CRSI. Delegates voted after in-depth debate on whether a resurrected CRSI or the AAFP's new governance structure would better foster leadership opportunities for students and residents.
The new structure establishes mandatory student and resident subcommittees under the Commission on Education, which, itself, has three students and three residents. In addition, the commissions on Quality, Science, Governmental Advocacy, Continuing Professional Development, Health of the Public and Practice Enhancement each have one student and one resident member. The Commission on Membership and Member Services has two students and two residents.
Hearing Residents', Students' Voices
Eliminating CRSI, however, could silence an important voice in the Academy, said supporters.
"My real fear is not hearing the voices of those who have no power," said New York delegate Maggie Blackburn, M.D., of Harpersfield, during reference committee hearings. "Students and residents bring us issues, they bring us issues we don't always see."
The Academy has other mechanisms for hearing student and resident issues, responded alternate delegate John Carroll, M.D., of Carroll, Iowa, during debate.
He cited resolutions brought to the Congress by the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students as an example. "We should optimize it (the National Conference)," he said.
Paving the Way for Leadership
Residents and students contended that losing the CRSI may close a path to leadership.
"CRSI has always been a forum for mentorship and leadership development," said Ryan Kauffman, M.D., of Columbus, Ohio, a resident delegate to the Congress and a member of CRSI. "It's through the CRSI that many people have come up through the leadership path. We need to keep that path open."
Roy Miner Jr. of Richmond, Va., a student delegate to the Congress and CRSI member, echoed the sentiment. "Students and residents are the future of our specialty," he said during reference committee hearings. "We cannot lose this."
Proponents of the CRSI noted governance changes that would reduce student and resident involvement -- whether real or perceived -- could hinder Academy efforts to foster student interest in family medicine.
"Is this the message we want to send to students?" asked Texas delegate Lloyd Van Winkle, M.D., of Castroville.
In the end, delegates favored continuing the commission. In adopting the resolution, they asked the Board to recreate the CRSI with "full and continuing support" from the Academy.
