4 minute read
Student Interest
STUDENT INTEREST & INITIATIVES
By: Morgan Carnes, NCAFP Student Director Wake Forest School of Medicine
STUDENT UPDATE
Finding My Home in Family Medicine Began with My FMIG
who were just as passionate about all of the items I mentioned above – and that they actually wanted to be family physicians, and did not just select it as a ‘backup plan’ in case their first choice of specialty did not work out (a mentality which had unfortunately been expressed to me on more than one occasion after sharing my career aspirations). My experience at Family Medicine Day the following March showed me that there is an entire community of support through students, residents and physicians as part of Family Medicine in North Carolina. I have never felt more supported in my pursuit of becoming a primary care physician than I have with the network of North Carolina Family Medicine! My participation in the rural Summer Internship in Hendersonville even further confirmed my dedication to Family Medicine and piqued my interest in other rural settings of NC.
When I arrived at Wake Forest School of Medicine, I had a vision for what my future practice as a physician would look like post-residency, but I was not sure what that specialty was called. I knew I wanted to have long-term relationships with my patients, to know their families and hobbies, and to be involved in their community. I wanted to incorporate my passion for education and prevention with all ages of patients, from new families with toddlers to seniors working through the challenges of aging. At my first Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) meeting, I learned that Family Medicine would allow me to do all of that and more. From that moment on, I became involved in every event and conference that related to Family Medicine within the state. I did not realize the community I was walking into would provide me with so many opportunities to learn about myself and to expand my vision for my future practice.
My biggest takeaway from the first NCAFP Annual Meeting I attended in Asheville was the realization that I was surrounded by hundreds of physicians
Ms. Carnes is a fourth-year medical student at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston Salem. She grew up in Charlotte and earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Kinesiology and Spanish at Occidental College in California. After working for a risk-based health system as an Associate of Population Health in Chicago, Ms. Carnes returned to NC for medical school. Her exposure to Family Medicine during her first interest group meeting on campus led to involvement in every Family Medicine experience possible. My time as a Student Trustee of the NCAFP Foundation Board taught me more than the basics of budgeting and fundraising for a large organization. I have learned about true lifelong learning and leadership through connecting with family physicians who have influenced our community here in NC and around the world for decades. By engaging in conversations with these leaders – many of whom I admired since learning about their work at my first conference – for the first time I not only saw myself as a future member of North Carolina’s community of family physicians, but also as a leader. As I listened to Dr. Shannon Dowler at Family Medicine Day in 2020 speak about her journey through various phases of her career, I could envision myself standing on that stage in 20 years sharing my story of various roles I had served during my career as a family physician in NC. These experiences have confirmed that Family Medicine is the best fit for me and I look forward to learning about the various environments in which Family Medicine provides care for patients who need it most.
We are excited to welcome our new 2022 Student and Resident Leaders! Be on the lookout throughout the year as these leaders share their thoughts and observations as they begin their careers in medicine.
STUDENTS
NCAFP Student Director.......................................................................................................... Morgan Carnes (Wake) NCAFP Student Director-Elect ............................................................................................. Morgan Beamon (Brody) NCAFP Foundation Student Trustee ...................................................................................Collette O’Connor (Wake) NCAFP Foundation Student Trustee ........................................................................................ Keri Lanier (Campbell)
Member Satisfaction & Practice Environment Committee ...............................................Emmanuella Mensah (Brody) Payer & Systems Advocacy Committee ........................................................................................ Cy Fogelman (UNC) Workforce Pipeline Committee ..............................................................................................Kandis Fogelman (UNC)
RESIDENTS
NCAFP Resident Director .....................................................................................................Ryan Paulus, DO (UNC) NCAFP Resident Director-Elect .......................................................................................Matthew Drake, MD (ECU) NCAFP Foundation Resident Trustee .........................................................................Caitlin Porter, DO (MAHEC-B) NCAFP Foundation Resident Trustee .............................................................................Carley Borrelli, MD (Novant)
Member Satisfaction & Practice Environment Committee ............................... Brittany Lee, MD – (Atrium Charlotte) Payer & Systems Advocacy Committee .................................................................................. Austin Witt, MD (Duke) Workforce Pipeline Committee ........................................................................................... Wesley Roten, MD (UNC)
Dr. Hannah Smith Offers Match Insight
With a January 31st deadline to register for the National Resident Matching Program already in the rear view mirror, many students are working through the uncertainly that follows interview season. AAFP interviewed a faculty member, a fourth-year student and two Family Medicine interns (including NC's own Dr. Hannah Smith) who participated in last year's virtual Match to offer their insights on the process. See ncafp.com/match-insights-2022
