A variety of AAFP Commissions met this past week in Kansas City, including your appointed resident and student leaders. The Subcommittee on International Family Medicine was one of these, and I wanted to provide you a few updates about what we talked about. Some things were new business, and some were finding ways to respond to student and resident resolutions from National Conference. Take a look at the notes below, and feel free to contact any one of us if you want more information!
• Global Health Networking: The Subcommittee discussed the resolution from NCFMR/S on creating a Global Health Networking Link. There is currently a discussion board and listserv for this purpose, but it is not utilized. As a start, we decided to create a Facebook page modeled after the National Conference example, but using the Family Medicine Global Health Workshop as the focus of the page. This would allow the opportunity for postings about people's experiences in international activities. The AAFP will also provide content on the page with references to available resources for Global Health, including links to a database (more info below). It will also allow the AAFP to publicize the Global Health Conference and link attendees together for productive conversation and networking.
• We discussed and updated the Global health Curriculum Guidelines. The students and residents will also be updating the presenting for National Conference on preparing for an international experience. If you have tips to share, please let us know.
• Student International Scholarships: A fund is going to be established within the AAFP Foundation to support students in international experiences. While there is not enough money to guarantee scholarships at this time, the fund will be a way to start the process for when funds become available. People can donate to this fund, with the idea that it will eventually have enough money to fund students for experiences. So if you know any rich benefactors, point them here!
• Global Health Link off homepage: It was discussed that finding global health resources takes multiple clicks off the homepage. Many discussed how global health is a big draw for students to go into Family Medicine, and suggested we make it more prominent. It also fits with the goal of trying to emphasize Family Medicine’s essential role in global health, especially given the Obama administration’s Global Health Initiative.
• Global Health Contact Database: Working from the resolution from National Conference, we agreed with setting up a database of members who have participated in global health programs and will work with staff to set it up. Staff had already been working on this through the Global Health Workshop.
• AAFP Statement on Global Health: The Obama administration’s recently announced Global Health Initiative, as well as a new Institute of Medicine report on Global Health look at improving health care systems in developing nations. Some other organizations have issued statements reviewing these documents and made recommendations. The subcommittee decided that we should also review this and create a statement that shows how FM is positioned to meet the goals outlined in these reports. So stay tuned for the statement!
• Student with Physicians with Heart: A resolution from NCFMRS requested a dedicated student position within Physicians with Heart, a group that travels on medical trips abroad. As of 2009, the AAFP is no longer a partner with Physicians with Heart, so it cannot make this happen. However, there is a rumor that Physicians with Heart is trying to make this happen anyway.
• Haiti earthquake relief: The AAFP Foundation is organizing disaster relief, both in resources and working with its partners the International Medical Corps and Heart to Heart International for volunteering.
• FM Global Health Workshop: For those interested in global health, the Family Medicine Global Health Workshop will be held in Coral Gables, FL on September 9-11, 2010. As of now, keynote speakers will include Donna Shalala, PhD, President of the University of Miami and Fitzhugh Mullan, MD, Dean of GWU Medical School. http://www.aafp.org/online/en/
• Newsletter: Check out the International newsletter if you want more updates. http://www.aafp.org/online/en/
More questions? Get in touch with your subcommittee student/resident representatives
Andy Lutzkanin, MS3, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
Kevin Bernstein, MS3, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Lindsay Botsford, PGY-3, Baylor/Kelsey-Seybold FMRP, Houston, TX
