Texas shines at AAFP’s National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students

AAFP’s annual National Conference of Family Medicine Students and Residents was held last week in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Texas representation did not disappoint. Thousands of medical students and family medicine residents traveled from across the country to network and learn, including more than 150 from Texas. This year was the event’s 50th anniversary and the crowd, events, and opportunities were bigger than ever. Check out some of TAFP’s photos here.

The TAFP Foundation funded more than 40 medical students as well as resident leaders to travel to Kansas City and experience all that the conference had to offer. Additionally, 24 family medicine residency programs from Texas were in the expo hall, getting to know students from all over, hopefully enticing them to come to Texas for residency.

Thursday night TAFP hosted a Texas-themed networking social for all Texas attendees and had quite the turnout! Around 175 people attended – medical students, residents, and residency faculty, as well as other students who were interested in Texas residency programs. This allowed for even more time outside the expo hall for networking and camaraderie building.

Friday morning, the family medicine interest group from the University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine was honored as one of AAFP’s overall Program of Excellence Award winners. FMIGs give medical students the opportunity to learn more about the specialty of family medicine and teach them leadership skills. AAFP’s annual awards are given to groups for the work they do to promote family medicine at their medical schools and within their communities.

Additionally, UTMB’s FMIG faculty advisor, Jennifer Raley, MD, received the Joyce Jeardeau Memorial Faculty Award. AAFP gives the award to faculty advisors or staff for exemplary support of an FMIG. Raley was nominated by UTMB students for her “passion and vision” for the group, among other reasons. She has taught at UTMB for 30 years and also currently serves as the director of medical student education and co-director of the family medicine clerkship. Congratulations, Dr. Raley!

TAFP delegates attended their respective congresses, taking time to work on their resolution writing skills and gain experience serving in leadership roles. Thank you to these delegates for volunteering and attending.

• Maggie Yip, TAFP Student Delegate to AAFP National Conference
  University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Phuong-Anh Do, TAFP Student Alternate Delegate to AAFP National Conference
  University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Jevon Chu, DO, TAFP Resident Delegate to AAFP National Conference
  University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
• Maria Ferreira Caceres, MD, TAFP Resident Alternate Delegate to AAFP National Conference
  University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Family Medicine Residency Program at Knapp

Other TAFP members hold positions with AAFP that require their attendance at National Conference. Medical student Breanna Chachere is AAFP’s Region 1 FMIG Coordinator, Madeline Hazle, MD, is the resident member of the Commission on Membership and Member Services, and Priyanka Kadari, MD, is the student member of the Commission on Continuing Professional Development.

Texas residents and students also had 12 posters accepted to the National Conference Poster Competition. Their posters were on display throughout the entirety of the conference, giving their research quite a bit of exposure.

As always, the energy and excitement for the future of family medicine was palpable throughout the conference. The event will be rebranded next year to focus on the future of the specialty and will now appropriately be called FUTURE.