How FMIGs Can Collaborate with Other Campus Groups

Students involved in a Family Medicine Interest Groups can benefit from sharing events and efforts with other groups on campus that promote primary care.

Collaborating with the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)

Among the national partners of the AAFP are the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA). These organizations are partnering to bring local and national visibility to students interested in family medicine. Unique opportunities now exist to encourage FMIGs, LMSA, and SNMA chapters to partner in primary care and family medicine events.

The mission of these partnerships is:

To facilitate communication, awareness, and participation in events and opportunities of the AAFP, LMSA, and SNMA.
To increase the effectiveness of FMIG, LMSA, and SNMA chapter activities through greater collaboration between local chapters.
To promote student interest in family medicine and build a strong primary care workforce for the future.
To highlight family medicine as a specialty uniquely suited to care for medically underserved populations.
To encourage students from minority backgrounds to consider family medicine and to pursue AAFP leadership opportunities at local and national levels.

If you have questions about any of these collaborations, or want to tell us how your FMIG collaborates with members of your school's SNMA or LMSA chapter, contact the AAFP student liaisons to the SNMA and LMSA.

Collaborating with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA)

National Primary Care Week

Each year the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and sponsoring organizations work together to organize National Primary Care Week (NPCW). NPCW is typically held during the first week of October.

Students from various health professions, not just medicine, are encouraged to participate and take advantage of networking opportunities and improving their understanding of primary care and its broader impact on communities. Through NPCW community service events, students can get involved in the political process by encouraging funding for community health centers and coverage for the uninsured.

Interested but need help funding an event? AMSA offers microgrants for NPCW programs. Check out AMSA's National Primary Care Week page for information about this grant and for a suggested list of programs.

Opportunities for Creating Shared Events

SNMA and LMSA chapters and FMIGs have the opportunity to host a number of events together. Throughout the year, monthly health-related themes (e.g., National Nutrition Month, National Primary Care Week, etc.) can easily be incorporated into events sponsored by both groups. Some ideas are:

For February's Black History Month, profile African American leaders in family medicine, or invite such local leaders to present a lecture on a health topic pertinent to your community.
September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Work with your campus LMSA chapter to organize an event to teach other future physicians about Hispanic cultures.
January is National Mentoring month. Medical students can partner to organize or lead a Doctors Back to School event, visiting young people at area schools to tell them about careers in medicine.
Conduct a programming session on cultural competency among health care professionals.
Host a local health fair.