Press release shared on behalf of the American Association of Family Physicians.
[August 14, 2020 - Ivins, UT]
The Student Association of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians of the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine—Southern Utah (RVUCOM-SU) was recently recognized by the American Academy of Family Physicians as one of 18 medical school Family Medicine Interest Groups (FMIG) to win the prestigious 2020 Program of Excellence (PoE) Award for exemplary efforts to grow and support interest in family medicine. Attendees from around the country celebrated this honor live, Friday July 31, at the first-ever virtual AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students.
The RVUCOM-SU’s Student Association of the ACOFP was recognized as a Program of Excellence for its Excellence in Clinical Skills Development. Its monthly clinical skills workshops have included a suture clinic, osteopathic manipulative techniques in pregnancy, EKG reading, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, vaccine conversations, a simulation on vaginal delivery and a simulation on postpartum hemorrhage and neonatal resuscitation. These efforts extend far beyond the national award to improving the future of family medicine and building the vital primary care physician workforce.
“The student leaders of the RVUCOM-SU have successfully created a series of diverse and engaging events that highlight the scope and variety a career in family medicine has to offer,” explained Ben Wilde, DO, Vice Chair of the Department of Primary Care Medicine and faculty adviser. “These students’ focused efforts to promote the field of family medicine has nurtured a positive campus culture that is likely to have a positive impact on their medical student peers now and for years to come.”
“The FMIGs we honor this year have gone above and beyond by activating students to put the knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom into practice,” said Clif Knight, MD, Senior Vice President for Education at the AAFP. “These programs help students develop leadership skills that will serve them in their future practices and communities and provide opportunities to better understand the many vital roles that family physicians play in our health care system.”
The AAFP publishes winning applications to share best practices and innovative programming ideas with other FMIGs and family medicine educators nationwide. There is also a programming resource for all FMIGs to use that highlights the most successful and innovative ideas from these exemplary schools.
FMIGs are independent groups, governed by their host medical school and supported by faculty and staff with resources and support from the national FMIG Network administered by the AAFP.
