Flashes of insight. Energy. Passion. These bubbled up in the faces and comments of family physicians at AAFP's National Conference of Special Constituencies May 5 - 7 in Kansas City, Mo.
Leaders, Special Constituencies Explore Ways to Chart Course for Specialty
By News Staff
5/6/2005
More than 150 NCSC participants, most of them representing their chapters, merged with about 225 attendees at AAFP's Annual Leadership Forum May 6 - 7 for leadership plenaries and workshops. The combined meeting followed the theme "Charting the Course: Navigation Tools for the Real World."
The constituencies also held their own sessions to ponder patients' needs, the state of U.S. health care, the specialty and issues pertinent to their special interest groups. The constituencies include women physicians; new physicians; minority physicians; those interested in gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual issues; and international medical graduates. (Later AAFP News Now stories will cover May 6 - 7 activities at ALF and NCSC.)
The constituencies also held their own sessions to ponder patients' needs, the state of U.S. health care, the specialty and issues pertinent to their special interest groups. The constituencies include women physicians; new physicians; minority physicians; those interested in gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual issues; and international medical graduates. (Later AAFP News Now stories will cover May 6 - 7 activities at ALF and NCSC.)
Here are some snippets overheard during NCSC's opening day:
On coverage about family physicians in the media:
"Tell some positive stories -- make us the heroes we are."
On AAFP's new political action committee, FamMedPAC:
"We're not buying votes -- we're gaining access."
On student interest:
"We need to teach people how to keep the light (desire) burning."
On hospitalist work:
"We're all international medical graduates (in this session), but we need to think about an issue that can affect all family physicians: We're not allowed to be hospitalists. We're being displaced by general internists."
On J1 visa waivers:
"About 40 percent of IMGs have J1 visa waivers (allowing them to remain here after residency to care for underserved populations). The Academy should help expedite the waiver process."
On CME targeting care for GLBT patients:
"This is the first year our Academy will have a main-stage lecture (at the Scientific Assembly) on caring for gay and lesbian patients."
On sex education for teens:
"Offering abstinence as the only option isn't the best approach."
On women's reproductive issues:
"We want to make sure there's access."
On coverage about family physicians in the media:
"Tell some positive stories -- make us the heroes we are."
On AAFP's new political action committee, FamMedPAC:
"We're not buying votes -- we're gaining access."
On student interest:
"We need to teach people how to keep the light (desire) burning."
On hospitalist work:
"We're all international medical graduates (in this session), but we need to think about an issue that can affect all family physicians: We're not allowed to be hospitalists. We're being displaced by general internists."
On J1 visa waivers:
"About 40 percent of IMGs have J1 visa waivers (allowing them to remain here after residency to care for underserved populations). The Academy should help expedite the waiver process."
On CME targeting care for GLBT patients:
"This is the first year our Academy will have a main-stage lecture (at the Scientific Assembly) on caring for gay and lesbian patients."
On sex education for teens:
"Offering abstinence as the only option isn't the best approach."
On women's reproductive issues:
"We want to make sure there's access."
