• Family Medicine Champions

    Connect with your passion, your community, and your purpose and help shape the future of family medicine! This certificate-granting program prepares participants to educate aspiring health care workers about the bright future of family medicine.

    As a foundation of the AAFP’s priority to strengthen pathways to family medicine, the program will prepare individuals to connect with students, and those who support them, to shed light on what it really means to be a family physician. 

    Registration is closed. The inaugural class will be completing the program January - May 2024.

    How does it work?

    Family Medicine Champions will receive education and access to an exclusive community of individuals who support and guide students. Participants will be equipped to address misconceptions and uncover the facts about what family medicine is, and the myriad of opportunities available to family doctors. Topics include:

    • What is Family Medicine?
    • A Week in the Life of a Family Physician
    • The Educational Path to Family Medicine
    • The Future of Family Medicine (or The Business of Medicine)
    • Personal Finance – Medical School Cost, Student Debt, Salaries, and Income
    • Finding Financial Support
    • Defining Primary Care and Understanding Primary Care Medical Careers
    • Workforce Projections and the Need for Family Physicians
    • Family Medicine’s Role in Striving for Health Equity
    • Understanding Student Aspirations
    • Supporting Underrepresented Students to Build Workforce Diversity
    • Connecting Students with Resources and Support, Mentorship Skills

    Participants from the three following cohorts will be in the inaugural class of Family Medicine Champions!

    • Cohort 1 — AAFP chapter leaders (staff and member leaders)
    • Cohort 2 — High school and college educators and advisors
    • Cohort 3 — FMIG leaders (faculty and student leaders)

    Expectations and Timeline

    • January 2024: Participants receive an email from the AAFP with instructions on how to access the program.
    • February — May 2024: Cohorts spend 2-3 hours per month viewing modules, in online community discussions, and 1 live virtual cohort meeting per month.
    • June 2024: Participants provide feedback.

    How the AAFP Supports Student Choice


    Other Ways to Get Involved

    Become a preceptor. U.S. medical schools face a drastic shortage of community preceptors in family medicine. Find a precepting opportunity and mentor the next generation of physicians. Learn how to get started.

    Contact your local AAFP Chapter and find out how you can help engage medical students, advocate for policy change, and develop the workforce. Find your chapter. 

    Get involved in your community. Ask young patients what they want to be, volunteer to speak at a local school or youth club, and search for opportunities to encourage STEM education. The AAFP has slide decks, videos, and other presentation tools to help you talk about family medicine. Find AAFP resources.