Am Fam Physician. 2025;111(4):293
Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships.
In celebrating American Family Physician (AFP), we also celebrate the editors in chief who have shepherded the journal toward success. I spoke with Dr. Jay Siwek, who led the journal from 1988 to 2018. Like most family physicians, he wears many hats. At Georgetown University, he serves as vice chair of the Department of Family Medicine and teaches medical journalism, all while continuing to work for AFP as editor emeritus.
Dr. Siwek embodies the spirit of family medicine with his compassion and commitment to patients through the education of future family physicians. For AFP’s 50th anniversary, he wrote about how his father had shown him what it means to be a family doctor,1 and in the same vein, Dr. Siwek has shown us at the journal what it means to be medical editors.
WHAT AFP MEANS TO ME AS A LEADER
American Family Physician is the crown jewel of the American Academy of Family Physicians. For over seven decades, the journal has been the leader in delivering evidence-based guidance that family physicians integrate into their practice. Its influence goes far beyond the pages of the publication, serving as a beacon of excellence and prioritizing patient care. I’ve witnessed family physicians at every stage of their career, and even a few during my international travels, reading AFP on airplanes, at conferences, and at beaches. I’ve even spotted copies of AFP in the White House. AFP remains at the forefront of medicine, continuing to innovate and broaden access to its trusted clinical insights.
R. Shawn Martin, Executive Vice President and CEO
First and foremost, the journal is designed around patients and the physicians who treat them. Before Dr. Siwek took the reins, the journal focused on disease-oriented outcomes. Now, our content emphasizes the evidence behind what matters to patients and how to best apply these principles to practice. He also developed conflict-of-interest policies to ensure patients— not pharmaceutical interests—are placed first. AFP does not permit authors to have ties to pharmaceutical companies, medical education companies, or other commercial entities that may benefit financially from the subject of the article.2
It is hard to imagine that at one point, AFP had few family physicians on the editorial staff. Most articles were written by specialists and had few references to support the content. In contrast, modern AFP articles are extensively researched, evidence based, written by practicing family physicians, and thoroughly reviewed.3 Dr. Siwek notes that his key mentor was the previous editor of AFP, Dr. John Rose, who taught him the importance of being careful and precise:
One small, early lesson was when I questioned the proper use of the word principle or principal in a sentence. I thought it should be principle, and he got up from his desk and walked me down the hall to the department library, grabbed a dictionary, and proved to me that it should be “principal.” That little lesson taught me the importance of fact checking and using authoritative resources.
Challenges in family medicine that Dr. Siwek has seen in recent years are the increasing administrative burdens and more frequent job transitions, which he views as threats to physician and patient well-being. Despite these pressures, he believes that AFP is living up to its mission by providing family physicians with the best information possible. When asked about the most important series or article that he has overseen, Dr. Siwek listed essentially all the departments at AFP! He has this advice for new family physicians:
Have fun. Be true to the ideals of family medicine. Find a practice where you can do both (easier said than done these days). Manage your time, otherwise someone else will manage it for you. Look for and take advantage of the serendipitous opportunities that will come your way (such as happened with me and AFP). Be satisfied with internal rewards—the external ones may be few and far between. Enjoy the journey, rather than focusing on some distant goal. Don’t shortchange yourself when negotiating for various positions, salaries, or job descriptions. Travel. Go with the flow and change when needed.
We celebrate the 75th anniversary of a journal that continues to serve patients through its readers and pay tribute to Dr. Siwek, whose contributions strengthen AFP for generations to come.
