Resources for medical student educators and advisors
We help you support students from high school all the way to a successful Match.
Teaching and advising tools
As educators and advisors guiding the next generation of physicians, you play a pivotal role in helping students navigate the academic and professional journey. This section offers a curated set of tools from the AAFP designed to support you—and your students—in advising on study skills, specialty choice, networking, debt management and the transition into residency.
Residency Match advising toolkit: Guidance to help students plan applications, interviews, ranking and Match strategy into family medicine residency.
Pre-med advising resources: Help prospective students compare schools supportive of primary care and explore family medicine early.
Outreach tools for future health professionals: Slide decks, videos and tips for engaging K-12 and pre-health audiences through AAFP’s partnership with HOSA.
Family Medicine Champions program: AAFP Family Medicine Champions guide future physicians, providing education, mentorship and advocacy to strengthen the family medicine workforce.
Curriculum and career guidance
Building a robust curriculum and career roadmap is crucial for preparing students not just to get into medical school but to thrive once they are there—and beyond. This section offers family medicine-specific curriculum guidance and career planning materials that can inform both advisors and students.
Pre-med student exploration and preparation: Central page on preparing for medical school, gaining clinical experience and exploring family medicine early.
Medical student success and career planning: Central page covering getting in, thriving in school, managing debt and exploring family medicine programs.
AAFP policy on strengthening student choice of family medicine: Position statements you can cite in curriculum proposals and advising materials.
Faculty role and qualifications policy: AAFP guidance on expectations for family medicine faculty and ongoing competency.
Professional development
Continuing your professional development is key to staying effective, current and influential as an educator and advisor. In this section, you’ll find resources to enhance your teaching, advising and leadership capabilities in the context of family medicine education.
CME faculty resource center: Content-development checklists, copyright/permissions guidance and contacts for AAFP CME faculty.
AAFP CME and credit system overview: How the AAFP defines CME and awards credit—useful when planning learning activities for students and residents.
Residency Leadership Summit: Development for program directors, faculty and administrators focused on family medicine education.
Faculty time update (ACGME): Summary of the increase in protected nonclinical time for core FM faculty, effective July 1, 2024.
Connect with peers
Professional isolation can limit your impact. Connecting with peers, mentors and networks enriches your practice, invites innovation and expands your influence. Here you’ll find platforms and events to engage with the broader family-medicine education community.
Family medicine education meetings (for student engagement): Round-up of conferences where mentoring, networking and education programming are front and center.
Leadership opportunities for medical students: National, regional and organizational roles that build professional networks and advocacy skills.
Outreach to future health professionals Engage with pre-health and pipeline learners by connecting with peer advisors and organizations.
Events, grants and recognition
The AAFP offers year-round ways for educators and advisors to plug students into the family medicine community—and to celebrate outstanding work. Use these listings to help your advisees find conferences, secure funding for Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) programming and navigate major recognition opportunities.
FUTURE (formerly National Conference) scholarships: Family Medicine Leads scholarships help students attend this flagship student/resident event.
FMIG and student-group funding: Point student leaders to FMSO grants and a roundup of additional fundraising ideas.
Awards and leadership opportunities. See AAFP’s awards overview and student/resident leadership roles; use GME Award pages to show exemplars.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers you can copy-paste into an email or use as talking points in advising meetings.
Encourage students to explore meetings curated for them.
Direct them to Family Medicine Leads scholarships for the FUTURE conference.
Use the AAFP’s awards hub to illustrate criteria and timelines.
Point advisees to the Student Leadership Opportunities page, which include benefits, timelines and common questions.
Remind them that AAFP student membership is free and includes Match support—a useful perk during M3-M4.