TAFP’s Student and Resident Summit sees success and growth in second year
By Samantha White
TAFP hosted the Student and Resident Summit for the second year in a row last weekend, and it’s safe to say the event will continue in TAFP’s future. More than 300 Texas medical students, family medicine residents, physicians, faculty, and other family medicine enthusiasts came together August 22 and 23 in Irving for networking opportunities, education, and an evening social unlike any other. A huge thank you to the TAFP Foundation and several TAFP local chapters for graciously providing 133 students and residents with travel funding to attend. Participating chapters include the Alamo Chapter, Harris County Chapter, Tarrant County Chapter, Galveston Chapter, and the Valley Chapter.
Before the summit officially began, 77 people from around the state met for the Family Medicine Leadership Collaborative facilitated by the Faculty Development Center as well as the Clerkship and Residency Coordinators Conference, both held all day Friday, August 22. These were attended by leaders of Texas family medicine educational organizations including department chairs, residency program directors, administrators, faculty, clerkship coordinators, and other family medicine champions. The groups spent the day sharing experiences and brainstorming ideas, discussing common challenges, and hearing from various speakers.
Friday ended with a camp-themed networking social, fondly referred to as CAMP TAFP, complete with the option to make camp-style crafts like friendship bracelets and keychains, appetizers supplied by the Texas Beef Council, and a packed house of around 75 people. Summit registrants were encouraged to arrive early and attend the social to network and receive their free CAMP TAFP T-shirts, sponsored by Concord Medical Group, TAFP, and the Texas Family Medicine Preceptorship Program.
The summit Saturday was split into two tracks, with breaks mixed in for attendees to visit the Residency and Career Fair. This year’s fair was bursting at the seams with exhibitors, including 27 Texas family medicine residency programs and nine companies hiring. The energy in the room was palpable as students met residency programs and residents chatted with possible employers. This year’s fair also included free headshots for students and residents as yet another resource provided at the summit.
The medical student track included speakers on school loans, the Match, career options in family medicine, and lifestyle and obesity medicine. The family medicine resident track included speakers on lessons and advice from new physicians, financial wellness for new physicians, fellowship opportunities, and physician contracts.
For an additional fee, 20 students and 20 residents also attended a contraceptives procedures workshop taught by educators from TAFP and Bayer. The day ended with a keynote address for all attendees on AI and the future of family medicine, given by Stanford University Clinical Assistant Professor Timothy Tsai, DO. Despite the long day, the keynote address was still very well attended.
Thank you to the TAFP student and resident officers, as well as other TAFP leaders and volunteers for helping to make sure the weekend ran smoothly. And thank you to the TAFP Foundation and its many donors for allowing so many students and residents to attend with the assistance of travel funding. This program also received a grant from the AAFP Foundation’s Family Medicine Chapter Alliance.
Between the large group in attendance and feedback received through a post-event survey, we’d say the second TAFP Student and Resident Summit was a huge success and will return once again in 2026. Thank you to everyone who attended.