AAFP Resident & Student Leadership Opportunities

The American Academy of Family Physicians highly values the contributions made by family medicine residents and medical students and recognizes the importance of training future leaders of medicine. It is one of the few specialty organizations to actively enlist resident and student members in leadership roles.

1. What AAFP leadership opportunities are available to residents and students?

The following positions are elected annually at the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students: Resident Member and Student Member of the AAFP Board of Directors, Resident Chair and Student Chair of the National Conference, Resident and Student Delegates to the AAFP Congress of Delegates and National Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) Coordinator.

The National Conference is also a forum for nominating resident and/or student representatives to the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (two-year term), Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, Residency Review Committee for Family Medicine (two-year term), and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

In addition, resident and student members are appointed to participate on AAFP commissions, to represent the Academy at the American Medical Association and to serve on the Board of Directors of the North American Primary Care Research Group. Ten student members are appointed FMIG regional coordinators. Resident and/or student members are also nominated to serve on the Annals of Family Medicine Editorial Board and as a liaison to the Student National Medical Association.

2. How will I benefit from this involvement?

Among other things, you will be afforded the opportunity to:

3. Are there special requirements for positions?

You must be a current AAFP member to be elected or appointed to an Academy position. In addition, some positions require at least one year’s experience in an Academy position at the national level. According to the rules of order of the resident and student congresses, the following are considered as national level positions: Board Member, National Conference Chair, National Delegate, National FMIG Coordinator, AAFP commission or committee member, and representatives to the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, Residency Review Committee for Family Medicine and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

4. What will it cost me to participate?

You should not incur any expenses to attend required meetings. Residents and students elected and appointed to AAFP positions are reimbursed for transportation expenses and paid a per diem of $350 when on official authorized Academy business. Resident and student leaders are encouraged to complete their expense vouchers at the end of a meeting and return them to staff or mail them as soon as possible after returning home.

Upon election or appointment, resident and student leaders receive detailed information about reimbursable expenses. Any amount reimbursed above actual expenses is considered taxable income. The AAFP submits a 1099 form to the IRS for the amounts paid. Those expenses for which documentation exists (airline tickets, hotel bill, meal receipts) can be deducted from the amount that is taxable.

5. How much time will I need to invest?

You will be expected to attend all portions of assigned meetings. Whenever possible, meetings are scheduled for weekends to minimize the number of days away from residency and school obligations.

The commissions meet twice a year. The exact meeting times are not known until the beginning of the year. However, most groups meet once in the winter and once in the summer during these dates and at these locations. The length of meetings varies from one to three days.

6. Will my institution give me the time off to attend meetings?

One element of the application process is to obtain a letter of recommendation from your residency program director or medical school dean. This communication is intended to lay the foundation for approval to attend meetings. There are also several steps that you can take to ensure support:

Elections are held during the final business sessions of the resident and student congresses, which convene during the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students.

If you are interested in running for an elected position, you will need to make arrangements to be nominated during the Thursday or Friday business session of the resident or student congress or immediately before the candidates’ forum on Saturday morning. Each candidate must be prepared to give a brief presentation and to participate in a question-and-answer session during the forum.

Candidates are elected by the official chapter delegates to the resident and student congresses on the last day of the National Conference. Appointments are made by the AAFP Board of Directors at its November meeting.

8. What are the deadlines for applying for positions?

A timeline for elections and appointments appears at the end of this section. If you wish to run for an office and plan to submit your application materials in advance of the National Conference, the deadline is July 8. If you plan to apply for an appointment, the deadline is September 23. However, a few positions have deadlines in August or early September, so be sure to check the timeline.

9. How competitive is the selection process?

A number of residents and students run or apply for Academy positions each year. Those selected typically come from all across the country and represent a wide range of backgrounds and interests. Some are experienced leaders, but most are new to the process.

If you have any interest in running for one of the positions elected at the National Conference, you are encouraged to submit your application and support materials well in advance of the meeting. This will ensure duplication of your materials in a timely fashion. However, if you decide to run for an elected position during the National Conference, you will have access to a computer to prepare your CV and letter of interest. Academy staff will make arrangements to duplicate your materials.

While you don’t have to be present at the National Conference to apply for an appointment, participation in at least one National Conference indicates interest in and commitment to the organization. It also provides you with the opportunity to find out more about the positions from last year’s representatives. For more information about the conference, go to www.aafp.org/conference.

10. Is there a limit on how many times I may serve?

Resident and student members may serve on any one commission or committee for no more than two years as a student, resident or combination of the two. No individual may serve more than a total of three years on commissions or committees as a student and/or resident member.

This three-year limitation applies only to resident/student commission and committee appointments. Time served on the Commission on Resident and Student Issues, as an FMIG Regional Coordinator or on any specially approved task force/project does not accrue toward this three-year limitation.