Family Medicine Foundations: Great Preceptors Can Make All the Difference

Family Medicine Foundations

Great Preceptors Can Make All The Difference

By Kate Timberlake, MD PGY 3 Cone Family Medicine Residency

Do you recall the person who steered your medical career toward Family Medicine? For me, this was Dr. Geoff Jones. Neither a miraculous patient care story (although I’m sure he has many) nor a new experience doing a procedure changed my path. Rather, I simply saw Dr. Jones living my career dream: he was engaged with the community, innovating new ways to deliver care, passionate about his work, making a difference, and pursuing his family with the same enthusiasm he brought to his work. My horizons were broadened as he explained setting up temporary clinics in tents in the nearby fields to care for migrant workers, while I rode with him to pick up his kids from soccer. I observed him encouraging residents to ask patients about which life experiences led them to their belief systems or fears about medicine. I was a part of the NCAFP Rural Health Immersion Experience, which inspired me to practice Family Medicine. The coffee cup he gifted me at the end of our week together (pictured) has served for the last six years as a reminder of why I am training in Family Medicine!

How do any of us choose our career path? Likely because it was modeled for us. Children of physicians are more likely to practice medicine. So I set out on a track to blend my brain for science with caring relationships. Because I’d apprenticed with my dad in reproductive veterinary medicine, I thought I wanted to be a reproductive endocrinologist. I considered public health after working with my undergraduate mentor and being enthralled by the way data can inform policy and guidelines. An engaging biology professor taught me that education is about creating analogies to simple examples, and I use this daily to explain physiology to patients.

But Dr. Jones showed me how this all fits together.

We set limits on our dreams until someone shows us that we can dream bigger. There’s room in Family Medicine for everyone’s career aspirations. Mamas, show a future lady doc that she can be both a great mother and outstanding Family Medicine doctor. Docs of color, tell a younger version of yourself that you are waiting for them at the top of that mountain of social struggles. Someone told you back in the day that you were too smart for Family Medicine? Tell your students that their intelligence is necessary and welcomed.

Caring is contagious! Thank you Dr. Jones and the NCAFP Foundation for creating this formational experience for my career. What more do we want than to make a difference while having fun, stretching our intellect, and being part of a community of medicine that exemplifies our values? Would you like to share your passion for Family Medicine with students? Consider speaking in your local schools to guide students into Family Medicine careers— we have a toolkit in the works for you!

MAHEC Resident Receives AAFP’s Prestigious GME Award

MAHEC Asheville Family Medicine third-year, Rivers Woodward, MD is one of twelve Family Medicine residents selected nationwide to receive AAFP’s Excellence in GME Award for exemplary patient care, interpersonal relationships with patients, physicians and faculty, and demonstrated leadership and community involvement. Dr. Woodward has designed and implemented a rural health careers pipeline program for high school students in two rural counties in Western North Carolina. Following residency, Dr. Woodward plans to practice full-spectrum family medicine in rural Western North Carolina. He also hopes to build capital and experience to create an innovative low-overhead clinical community center that can provide health care to multigenerational rural families and address food insecurity and loneliness.

Medical Mutual is now Curi

Helping physicians in medicine, business, and life.

Three NCAFP Residents and Students Appointed to Leadership Roles

The NCAFP is pleased to announce that three resident and student members have been appointed by the AAFP to fill key leadership positions. Erin Clark, a 4th-year Campbell student, was named as the student member to the AAFP Commission on Health of the Public and Science. Hannah Smith, a third-year Brody/ECU student, was selected to serve as one of AAFP’s FMIG Regional coordinators. Finally, Dr. Clay Cooper, a second-year resident at Duke, was named as the resident member of the Commission on Membership and Member Services. Congratulations!

Curious to know more? Visit curi.com

CORPORATE SPONSOR OF THE NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS

ADVERTISE!

By Tracie Hazelett NCAFP Medical Student & Residency Relations Manager

Five Medical Students Awarded NCAFP Foundation Family Medicine Scholarships

The NCAFP is pleased to announce that five medical students have been selected to receive the Family Medicine Scholarship offered by the NCAFP Foundation. Each year, the Foundation provides scholarships to North Carolina medical students considering careers as family physicians. Medical students in their 3rd or 4th year of medical school are eligible to apply. The awards received by students are financial scholarships, unless the recipient does not complete their Family Medicine residency training. In that circumstance, the awarded money is converted to a loan and is paid back to the Foundation with interest.

This year, each of the recipients are fourth-year medical students who are all currently interviewing at Family Medicine residency programs. Alongside a sincere interest in Family Medicine, these medical students exhibited a commitment to community and service, have demonstrated leaderships skills, as well as financial need.

The NCAFP offers best wishes and congratulations to the following outstanding 2019 Family Medicine Scholarship recipients (from top): Erin Clark, Campbell; Matthew Drake, Brody; Sharon Olang, Campbell; Cameron Smith, Campbell; and, Travis Williams, UNC.

The NCAFP would also like to extend a special thank you to the Foundation’s Scholarship Review Committee and acknowledge that all applicants were extremely deserving medical students with impressive experiences. It is understood that every medical student has financial need, decisions were difficult. We are grateful for each student’s dedication to Family Medicine and anticipate North Carolina will be the recipient of these outstanding individuals’ commitment and healthcare services to our communities in the future.

First-Year Medical Students 2020 Summer Family Medicine Interest Programs

The NCAFP Foundation offers a variety of programs and opportunities to medical students. Some consist of clinical experiences only available to 1st year medical students. These opportunities take place the summer between the first and second year of medical school. There are multiple programs available, ranging from two- to four-weeks in length. To learn more about these options and the exciting specialty of Family Medicine, please visit: www.ncafp.com/summer.

The application deadline is January 15, 2020. For questions and/or additional information, contact Tracie Hazelett at thazelett@ncafp.com.

Saturday, March 7th, 2020

The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP) and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program are excited to present North Carolina's 13th Annual Family Medicine Residency Recruitment Conference.

This fantastic one-day event is North Carolina’s premier Family Medicine residency recruitment conference. The day will begin with a keynote lunch speaker, followed by 5-hours of clinical skills workshops. During the afternoon workshops, students will network with North Carolina’s Family Medicine residency programs as they teach and refine skills and share their experiences as a family physician. During the evening Residency Recruitment Fair, participants will learn even more about North Carolina’s state-of-the-art training programs. This is a tremendous networking opportunity with residents, faculty and other NC medical students.

You do not want to miss this incredibly fun, educational and hands-on day!

Autumn 2019 Registration will open in early 2020 for medical students in the classes of 2021 and 2022. Class of 2023 students can register beginning February 7th 2020. For updated information and links to the registration, please visit www.ncafp.com/students/fmd. Contact Tracie Hazelett with questions at thazelett@ncafp.com

SKILL BUILDING • RECRUITING NETWORKING • FUN