Represent family medicine in a TMA section

The importance of being active in organized medicine doesn’t stop at joining a TAFP council or attending a TAFP Member Assembly. It’s equally significant to get involved in the Texas Medical Association, which advocates for all physicians across Texas. I know what you’re thinking – but TMA has over 56,000 members, which can feel daunting! So how do you get involved with an organization that big? Start with the sections.

TMA sections represent various microcosms within the broader TMA membership, giving members of the very diverse organization the opportunity to meet with physicians in similar positions to themselves. There are six member sections at TMA.

• Medical Student Section
• Resident and Fellow Section
• Young Physician Section
• International Medical Graduate Section
• LGBTQ Health Section
• Women Physicians Section

Many TAFP leaders and members are just as active in TMA sections. TAFP board chair Emily Briggs, MD, MPH, says that the sections are designed for connection, and some even for advocacy purposes. “By joining a section, new members can meet other members with either similar attributes or interests, and you can find a new place to call home in organized medicine,” Briggs says.

The section meetings allow for physicians to connect informally, says Lindsay Botsford, MD, MBA, CMQ. For her, the opportunity to build connections not only with like-minded physicians, but also with specialists she can reach out to for patient purposes is enough to keep her coming back.

“I think the biggest barrier to physicians getting involved in the TMA is not knowing where to start,” says Tina Philip, DO. Philip is a TAFP council chair, and currently serves as the Travis County Medical Society President. She points out that county medical societies are also a great entry point into TMA, but not all are created equally across the state. Some can be small or not very active, or so large that they themselves are overwhelming. “TMA sections are a great starting point to get involved in a very specific way that is tailored to groups with unique experiences in medicine,” she says.

Briggs, Botsford, and Philip were all involved in the establishment of the Women Physicians Section. Briggs and Philip pointed out that despite the new section now being the largest, it was born out of a lack of female leaders in TMA. The results of a membership survey led to the creation of some female-focused events, which were well attended and in turn, led to the Women Physicians Section.

“The Women Physicians Section is the largest section in the TMA,” Philip says, “and has continued to be active in creating impactful programming for all members, staying involved in advocacy through resolution writing, and engaging in leadership at the section level and beyond.”

Sam Mathis, MD, currently serves on TMA’s Board of Trustees as the Young Physician Section representative, and was previously involved in the Medical Student Section as well as the Resident and Fellow Section. He encourages involvement in the sections because of the further opportunities they create for members. “The sections often provide leadership opportunities and ways to engage the TMA in a low-stakes avenue that doesn't require the same level of work or commitment as a council or committee,” Mathis says.

Mathis also values the relationships he has built with physicians from other specialties through the fight for quality care and patient protection, which he says is the basic unified goal of physicians joining TMA sections.

“Understanding how other specialties view medicine and their unique challenges in dealing with issues such as scope, insurance, and quality metrics gives me more insight into how to effectively advocate for all patients and the physicians who care for them,” Mathis says. “I am a better family physician because I have a deeper understanding of the challenges radiology faces. Also, in building these connections, other specialists are more willing to listen to the challenges I face in family medicine and can lend their voice to issues that family medicine encounters. The TMA provides an avenue for us to connect so we can speak as one voice on patient advocacy issues.”

Through her many years involved in TMA’s LGBTQ Health Section and now the Women Physicians Section, Briggs says that the connections made have broadened her collaboration with the physicians of Texas in all specialties, not just family medicine. In addition to the relationships she has built, she’s had the opportunity to partake in TMA business and legislative action, making her a better advocate. “I have had the opportunity to draft resolutions, testimony, and learned to be a more comprehensive advocate for all of medicine through my experiences in sections,” Briggs says.

It is crucial that family medicine be represented in broader organized medicine. In the rooms where advocacy and policymaking take place, the voice of family medicine must be heard so that the voice of Texas patients is heard.

A great place to get started with TMA sections is at their upcoming TexMed meeting next month. All are welcome to attend section business meetings held that Friday. You can also check out Section Connections in the Expo Hall, which are 20-minute informal meetings held Friday and Saturday at the times below.

• Friday 11 a.m. – Women Physicians Section
• Friday 11:20 a.m. – LGBTQ Health Section
• Friday 11:40 a.m.  – Young Physician Section
• Saturday 11:15 a.m. – Resident and Fellow Section
• Saturday 11:35 a.m. – International Medical Graduate Section
• Saturday 11:55 a.m. – Medical Student Section

For more on TMA sections, check out https://www.texmed.org/sections/.