The OAFP Foundation (Foundation) is proud to announce that its Leroy A. Rodgers, MD, Preceptorship Program (Preceptorship Program) has been named the recipient of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation’s 2025 Outstanding Program Award!
This national honor recognizes an exceptional program that advances the mission of family medicine and demonstrates innovation, impact, and sustainability. For 35 years, the Preceptorship Program has done just that—pairing first-year medical students with passionate family physician preceptors across Ohio to provide early, immersive exposure to the power of family medicine.
- 33% of participants chose family medicine for their residency
- 72% entered primary care specialties
- 100% of students reported gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for the family medicine specialty
- Of those who pursued family medicine, 57% matched into residency programs right here in Ohio – a testament to a program’s role in growing a retaining a local, community-focused workforce.
The impact of this program is not only seen in the data—but also felt in the stories. Stories of students who were uncertain about their path until they spent time in a small-town practice. Of physicians who credit their preceptorship experience as the reason they chose family medicine. And of communities made stronger because a mentor took the time to teach, guide, and inspire.
These outcomes reflect the program’s unique ability to open eyes, shape decisions, and strengthen Ohio’s family medicine pathway.
Celebrating the Past, Securing the Future
This national award comes at a particularly special time as the program celebrates its 35th anniversary. It is both a moment of pride and a call to action: to ensure that the next generation of students continues to have access to this transformative experience.
You can help carry this award-winning legacy forward for another 35 years.
Make a gift today to support the Leroy A. Rodgers, MD, Preceptorship Program and invest in the future of family medicine.
Your donation will help fund student stipends, expand outreach to medical schools, and ensure that the next class of learners finds inspiration in the same way thousands already have.
Thank You to Our Community
This achievement belongs to the entire Ohio Academy of Family Physicians and Foundation family—our physician preceptors, generous donors, program alumni, program coordinators at each medical school, and student participants who have built and sustained the Preceptorship Program for more than three decades.
Together, we are shaping the future of family medicine—one student at a time.
Congratulations on receiving this much-deserved award. This program is making a difference not only for the students we precept but also for the preceptors who touch the minds and hearts of the students they teach. Looking forward to the next 35 years of even greater achievements by the OAFP Foundation!
So exciting and well deserved! Grateful for our OAFP team for everything they do to make this program possible.
Congratulations on this recognition. Wonderful program!