FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 3, 2018
Contact:
Stephanie Wilken
American Academy of Family Physicians
(800) 274-2237, Ext. 6053
swilken@aafp.org
LEAWOOD, Kan. -- The American Academy of Family Physicians named 18 medical school Family Medicine Interest Groups as the 2018 Program of Excellence Award winners for their exemplary efforts to grow and support interest in family medicine.
Award winners were announced Aug. 3 at the AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students in Kansas City, Missouri.
FMIGs are student-run organizations that provide opportunities for students to learn about and experience family medicine that are not offered in their medical school curricula. FMIGs host regular events, workshops, leadership development opportunities and community and clinical experiences. However, these award-winning groups are breaking new ground with efforts such as starting pipeline programs for students who are underrepresented in medicine and working with their school administration to change the curriculum to be more supportive of primary care.
The Program of Excellence Awards recognize FMIGs for their efforts to promote interest in family medicine—10 for their overall performance, and eight for specific efforts including, community service, promoting the value and scope of primary care, professional development and interprofessional collaboration, exposure to family medicine, creating new momentum, innovative programming, most visionary FMIG and best new applicant.
"Increasing interest in family medicine is absolutely necessary as we continue to fight the primary care physician shortage," said Clif Knight, MD, senior vice president for education at the AAFP. "We have a workforce goal to increase the percentage of U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical graduates choosing family medicine, from the current estimated 12 percent to 25 percent by 2030. The resulting increase in family physicians will help provide better care, improve health, and reduce costs in health care. Programs such as FMIGs are key to exposing students to real-world experiences that will help them dig deeper into—and ultimately choose—family medicine.
"The FMIGs we honor this year have gone above and beyond by activating students to put the knowledge they've acquired in the classroom into practice. These programs help students develop leadership skills that will serve them in their future practices and communities and provide opportunities to better understand the vital role that family medicine plays in our health care system."
The 18 overall 2018 Program of Excellence Award Recipients are:
The categorical and special consideration award winners are:
The winners' applications are published online to facilitate the sharing of best practices and programming ideas among FMIGs nationwide. There is also a programming resource for all FMIGs to use that highlights the most successful and innovative ideas from these exemplary schools.
FMIGs are independent groups, governed by their host medical school and supported by faculty and staff with resources and support from the national FMIG Network administered by the AAFP.
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About American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 130,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine and the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, visit www.aafp.org. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.