This week, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians is celebrating National Primary Care Week (NPCW) through Friday, October 5. This year’s theme is “A Call to Primary Care,” which focuses on the role of primary care physicians in their communities.
As an annual event on medical school campuses across the United States, the OAFP encourages all members to get involved by joining the conversation and utilizing the hashtag #NPCW2018 on Facebook and Twitter to share your story on why primary care is important in Ohio.
- Monday, October 1: Maternal Mortality/Pre-Natal Care
- Tuesday, October 2: Firearm Safety
- Wednesday, October 3: Mental Health
- Thursday, October 4: Women in Medicine
- Friday, October 5: Opioid Addiction.
On October 1, the Ohio State University (OSU) Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) co-hosted a Down syndrome panel with the Neonatal & Maternal Fetal Medicine Interest Group and the Pediatrics Interest Group. Kim Baich, program coordinator of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio, and Kandamurugu Manickam, MD, a clinical geneticist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, organized a panel of parents, with children who have Down syndrome, to share about their experiences. The parents spoke about topics ranging from receiving the diagnosis to what makes Down syndrome unique to other syndromes. This discussion helped medical students not only understand more about this genetic disorder, but also how they can deliver the diagnosis well.
On October 2, the OSU FMIG hosted a lunch round robin with three family medicine sub-specialists, who specialize in areas of maternal care and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and sports medicine. Each of the subspecialists rotated in small groups with medical students to talk about their specialties. Speakers included Anton Borja, DO; Scott Rogers, MD; and Bryant Walrod, MD.
Interested in participating in National Primary Care Week? It’s not too late.
Attend a FREE webinar on Thursday, October 4, from 12:15 – 1:00 p.m. on Facebook LIVE via the American Medical Student Association national account. No registration necessary! To attend just login to your Facebook account at the specified time and visit their Facebook page.
As a medical student, we encourage you to share your opinion on why a particular health issue matters to you and/or your community. NPCW highlights the importance of primary care by bringing healthcare professionals together to discuss and learn about generalist and interdisciplinary health care.
The goal of NPCW is to engage physicians-in-training, students across the health care spectrum, and the general populations on the indispensable role of primary care in our healthcare system.
Special programming and opportunities are planned by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), a sponsor of NPCW, for medical students and other health trainees to learn about, experience, and spread awareness of primary care’s pivotal role in the U.S. health care system.
For more information about NPCW, visit the AMSA website.