The annual American Academy of Family Physicians’ (AAFP) National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students (National Conference) is designed for residents and medical students to advance their knowledge, make connections, and learn what’s on the horizon for family medicine.
Attendees can attend educational sessions, hear from nationally renowned speakers, participate in procedures and workshops, advance policy at their respective congresses, connect with residency programs and future employers, and most important of all – grow their passion for family medicine! This year’s conference was held July 27-29 in Kansas City, MO.
Attendees engaged in sessions on Family Medicine Interest Group Leadership, Residency Bootcamp workshops, hands-on procedure workshops, and learning sessions on a wide variety of topics that are applicable to family medicine and student and resident education. The exhibit hall included residency programs, practice opportunities, fellowship programs, publishers, advocacy experts, medical missions, medical products and services, and more. Among the numerous sessions, workshops, and visits to the expo hall, were the National Congresses of Family Medicine Residents and Student Members.
Ohio resident and student delegates selected and supported by the OAFP Foundation (Foundation) represented their fellow medical students and family medicine residents during the congresses. Delegates at the congress sessions heard updates from national student and resident leaders, participated in parliamentary procedure to review resolutions, and voted on national leaders for the 2023-24 term. This year’s Ohio delegation was:
The Foundation also supported seven students with scholarships to attend National Conference in an effort to increase Ohio’s medical student representation at the conference.
- Chelsea Boedicker, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- Theresa D’Ettorre, Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine
- Jacob Easterday, George’s University
- Brian Hibbard, University of Toledo College of Medicine
- Saloni Lad, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- William Smith, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Aaron Wise, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
The students had the following to share about their experiences at National Conference:
I am honored to be one of the students chosen to be a recipient of the Foundation’s scholarship to attend the 2023 National Conference. Though this was my second time partaking in conference activities, this was my first time attending with financial assistance, which made a world of a difference.
With the aid, the cost of my drive to the conference, lodging, and two paid sessions (OB/GYN procedures and joint injections) was of little concern. I could focus on my goals for the conference: refreshing some procedural skills before entering my fourth year, meeting other students interested in family medicine, and learning more about the unique offerings of residency programs.
I plan to apply for family medicine this application cycle and am now more aware of the multiple opportunities and plethora of locations this specialty will hold for my pivotal training years. I am truly thankful for your generous support.
With gratitude,
Chelsea Boedicker, fourth-year medical student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Thank you for your donation to the scholarship fund. It is with your generosity that I was able to attend the AAFP National Conference in Kansas City! Some of the highlights for me were the unique sessions and exploring residency programs in the Expo Hall. The session “Health at the Margins” brought to focus caring for migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking patients. As a Clevelander, I’m working with members of these populations every day. Another interesting session was “Introduction to Integrative Medicine,” which gave me some practical tools for adding evidence-based practice to my patients seeking other non-Western modalities. I left the weekend feeling excited to complete my residency application in family medicine. Again, thank you for your commitment to the future of Family Medicine!
Theresa D’Ettorre, fourth-year medical student at Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to attend the 2023 AAFP National Conference. Because of your generosity, my family and I were able to travel to Kansas City for the weekend. I was able to speak with many residency programs and attend valuable workshops. I was able to form important relationships with program directors and now feel more confident going into application season. Your contribution will not be soon forgotten.
Thanks again,
Jacob Easterday, fourth-year medical student at St. George’s University School of Medicine
I am a fourth-year medical student at the University of Toledo College of Medicine, and thanks to your support I was able to attend the AAFP National Conference in Kansas City. I want to sincerely thank you for making it possible. It was incredible meeting other students who are enthusiastic and energetic to be pursuing a career in family medicine. Moreover, the workshops provided insight into exciting developments in family medicine, such as the integration of POCUS in clinical practice. In addition to the didactics and workshops, the networking opportunities at this conference were fantastic. I met with multiple programs who I had never heard of but have very similar goals to how I would like to practice medicine in the future.
I am very grateful for having been able to attend this conference. Meeting with physicians who are passionate about what they do has reassured me that I have chosen the right path. I come away from this experience with some great memories of the fun I had, but also feeling empowered and more knowledgeable as a student and soon-to-be resident.
Again, thank you so much for making this experience possible!
Sincerely,
Brian Hibbard, fourth-year medical student at the University of Toledo College of Medicine
Capitalizing on the AAFP’s high energy event, the Foundation hosted an Ohio Reception for all students, residents, residency program representatives, and physicians at National Conference to provide a venue for Ohio’s attendees to meet face-to-face and connect in person. Over 70 students, residents, and residency program directors were in attendance from around Ohio.
Thank you to the following residency programs and OAFP regional chapters for sponsoring the 2023 Ohio Reception at National Conference:
- Central Ohio Academy of Family Physicians
- Cleveland Clinic Akron General Center for Family Medicine
- East Central Ohio Academy of Family Physicians
- Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Family and Community Medicine
- Miami Valley Academy of Family Physicians
- OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine
- Wright State University Rural Family Medicine Residency and Family Health.
Congratulations to Ian Thomas, MD on being selected as one of the nine Family Medicine Leads Emerging Leader Institute (ELI) 2022 Leadership Project Award recipients and the overall Best Leadership Project Award recipient in his track!
Dr. Thomas returned to this year’s National Conference to showcase and formally present his project, Point of Care Ultrasound: Using the 21st Century Stethoscope to Move Healthcare Toward A Value-Based system with health equity at the forefront, and engage with the new class of 2023 ELI Scholars.
Congratulations also goes out to the Northeast Ohio Medical University’s Family Medicine Interest Group for being awarded AAFP’s Award for Excellence in Exposure to Family Medicine and Family Physicians.
Save the date for AAFP’s National Conference of Family Medicine in 2024! The 2024 conference will be held Thursday-Saturday, August 1-3, 2024, in Kansas City, MO.