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Awards Recognition

AAFP Program of Excellence Awards Recognize 17 Family Medicine Interest Groups

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Contact:
Leslie Champlin
Senior Public Relations Strategist
American Academy of Family Physicians
(800) 274-2237, Ext. 5224
lchampli@aafp.org

LEAWOOD, Kan. — The American Academy of Family Physicians has named 17 medical school Family Medicine Interest Groups as the 2016 Program of Excellence Award winners for their outstanding activities in generating interest in family medicine.

Award winners will be honored July 29 during the AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students in Kansas City.

FMIGs are medical school-sponsored, student and faculty-run organizations that give medical students a chance to learn more about family medicine through regular meetings, workshops, leadership development opportunities, and community and clinical experiences. The Program of Excellence Awards recognize FMIGs for their efforts to promote interest in family medicine and family medicine programming.

"Attracting medical students to the specialty of family medicine is critical to addressing the ongoing primary care physician shortage,” said Clif Knight, MD, senior vice president for education at the AAFP. “Excellent FMIGs such as these award winners are an important component in these efforts. They’re essential to helping medical students understand the professional responsibilities and satisfaction of being a family physician.

“All of this year’s award winners have done outstanding work giving students the opportunity to put into practice the knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom, develop leadership skills that will serve them in their future practices and communities, and better understand the vital role that family medicine plays in our health care system.”

Winners of the overall 2016 Program of Excellence Award are:
•    Albany Medical College Family Medicine Interest Group
•    Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California Family Medicine Interest Group
•    Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group
•    Saint Louis University School of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group
•    The Ohio State University Family Medicine Interest Group
•    University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Family Medicine Interest Group
•    University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group
•    University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group
•    University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Family Medicine Interest Group
•    Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group

In addition to recognizing 10 FMIGs for their overall performance, this year’s AAFP Program of Excellence Awards cite a first-time applicant, excellence in collaboration, excellence in community service, excellence in exposure to family medicine and family physicians, excellence in promoting the scope of family medicine, excellence in promoting the value of primary care, and most improved FMIG.

Winners in specific categories are:
•    Excellence in Collaboration: University of New Mexico Family Medicine Interest Group
•    Excellence in Community Service: Medical College of Wisconsin Family Medicine Student Association
•    Excellence in Exposure to Family Medicine and Family Physicians: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group
•    Excellence in Promoting the Scope of Family Medicine: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Student Family Medicine Association
•    Excellence in Promoting the Value of Primary Care: Stanford University School of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group
•    Special Consideration for First-Time Applicant: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group
•    Special Consideration for Most Improved FMIG: Stony Brook University School of Medicine Family Medicine Interest Group

The winning applications are posted online to facilitate the sharing of best practices and programming ideas among FMIGs nationwide.