Resident chair is excited to lead the conference that shaped her FUTURE
Feb. 25, 2026, David Mitchell — At the end of her first year of medical school, Taree Chadwick, MD, didn’t understand all the things a career in family medicine could offer. The AAFP’s summer conference for medical students and family medicine residents, now called FUTURE, changed that.
“I was encouraged to go to my first National Conference, and everything just snowballed after that,” said Chadwick, resident chair of FUTURE, the updated version of National Conference. “I was able to connect with so many people, learn about different aspects of family medicine in the workshops and experience Student Congress for the first time. I was so inspired by hearing from everybody in the congress and learning about issues that my peers were passionate about and how they use their voices to advocate for those things.”
Chadwick jumped into family medicine with both feet. She was a family medicine interest group regional coordinator in 2022. The following year, she was national coordinator of the AAFP’s FMIG Network and a member of the Academy’s Commission on Education. She served as the student member of the AAFP Board of Directors for the 2023-2024 year.
That “snowball” started from attending one event.
“FUTURE is about making our field better together,” said Chadwick, a second-year resident at Swedish First Hill Family Medicine Residency in Seattle. “I left feeling that first conference like I belonged and like I had been heard. It inspired me to keep going and learn everything I could about the specialty. I want to help inspire med students to get excited about the specialty.”
Finding the right residency fit at FUTURE
Just as attending the conference after her first year of med school helped Chadwick solidify her specialty choice, attending after her third year helped her match. Hundreds of family medicine residencies exhibit during the event.
“I walked through the Expo Hall and talked to a bunch of different residencies and had some really good conversations,” Chadwick said. “It really was a determining factor for me, helping me create my list of places to apply. I got interviews because of those encounters. I received contacts from different residents and was able to keep in touch with them throughout the process. I was grateful for that football field length of booths you get to walk through to figure out what is a good fit for you.”
FUTURE: What’s in it for residents?
Chadwick said the event is a draw for residents, too. Students and residents debate policy and elect their peers to multiple national leadership roles in their respective congresses. There is dedicated exhibit time for residents to meet with fellowship programs, potential employers and more in the Expo Hall. There also are workshops and sessions designed with residents in mind.
Make FUTURE part of your career plan
Don’t miss these important deadlines for medical students and residents:
- April 1: Apply for the poster competition.
- April 15: Save money when you register early.
- May 1: Apply for scholarships to offset costs.
Chadwick, who is the resident member of the Washington AFP’s Board of Directors, returned to FUTURE last summer before her second year in residency with another leadership role in mind: resident chair of the event that has meant so much to her.
“I want to continue that sense of camaraderie, professional development and career exploration,” she said. “I want this to be a space where people can find mentors and find their community like I did at my first National Conference.”
A career change with purpose
Chadwick’s own path to medicine was atypical. She initially followed her parents into theater, earning a fine arts degree at Columbia College in Chicago and spending five years as a stage manager.
When she realized she wanted a more meaningful connection with people and a chance to help her community, she went back to school and earned a second undergraduate degree in biology. She’s 10 years into training for her second career with one more year to go.
“I’ve been working 13 hours a day, five or six days a week,” she said. “I'm exhausted. I feel like the system is worn down, and I’m burned out by that. But I have never been to the point where I want to quit. All I need is that one patient interaction that really impacts them. It’s intimate, and we’re working through something. They trust me, and I get to hear their story. Those little moments jolt me and remind me of why I want to do this and why it’s important. Working with the AAFP and my state chapter also re-energizes me. I lean into those sides of medicine that really invigorate me.
“No matter who you are, you’re going to experience those days that are long and difficult. We have to find the things that keep us going and remind ourselves of why we went into this in the first place. Have I ever thought about quitting? Yes. But I would never do it because this is what I want to do. This is what I’m meant to do.”
Choose your own path in family medicine
Chadwick isn’t sure yet what her next stop will be, but she hopes to maintain a broad scope of practice after graduation.
“I have found a love for geriatrics and palliative medicine while I’ve been here,” she said. “I’m also a part of the HIV area of concentration at our residency program, so I plan to practice HIV medicine when I leave here as well as LGBTQ and gender health care. I have half a year to decide if I want to apply to fellowship.
“What’s great about family medicine is you get to choose your path. And if you want to change your path, you can go to fellowship anytime. You can decide you want to focus on something else and create a patient panel that looks a little bit different. Switch jobs, change states, go from an urban area to a rural area. There are so many opportunities, and that’s just another reason why I love family medicine.”