www.fmec.net

February | 2026

Join the FMEC at the 2026 Annual Meeting in

Atlantic City, NJ, September 24-26, 2026.

The 2026 Annual Meeting (September 24-26, 2026) will be FMEC’s first Annual Meeting in Atlantic City. Make plans now and don’t let your faculty and residents miss this great opportunity to present and learn. We know it’s a busy time (the first day of the meeting, September 24, is when residency programs gain access to the Electronic Residency Application Service®), but we expect another great FMEC meeting you won’t want to miss.

• Mark the key meeting dates in your calendar now. Registration for the Residency Fair, along with the FMEC room block at Harrah’s, will open March 23. Registration for individuals will open April 20. See key meeting dates for other dates and deadlines.
• FMEC is excited to work with the many programs in New Jersey and the immediate area to plan the meeting. The Host Committee, co-chaired by Drs. Maya Bass of Cooper University Healthcare and Dr. Joseph Tribuna of Atlantic Health, includes 44 members from 23 residency programs and medical schools. They are busy picking plenary speakers, fundraising, and more.
• We received over 320 submissions in 10 different categories for the educational program, covering a wide-variety of topics. This is almost a record high for FMEC! Submissions were received from 18 states and DC. Notification of approval and any recommended changes or questions will be sent to submission authors no later than early May 2026. Planning Committee members are available as mentors at any time to discuss your submission. If you have any questions about the 2026 FMEC Annual Meeting, please contact Lisa Schwieterman at Lisa.Schwieterman@fmec.net. 

ALSO and POCUS workshops planned for September 24

At the 2026 Annual Meeting, FMEC is planning to offer an Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) Course to help residencies meet their training requirements, as well as an ALSO Instructor Course to help create more trainers. We also plan to offer two Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) workshops in collaboration with the Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI). Each year, we hear from people who wanted to attend but didn’t make plans early enough. Mark your calendars and prepare your budgets now! Space will be limited, so let FMEC know you are interested now and we will send you registration information as soon as it opens. Click the button below!

Young Breast Cancer Survivors

FMEC has launched a project to improve the quality of life for young breast cancer survivors—especially young Black women and those with metastatic breast cancer—by equipping family medicine residency programs with evidence-based psychosocial education and support strategies. This spring, FMEC will offer a 30-60 minute curriculum (slides, script, and facilitator guide) for your noon conferences or other didactic sessions. We will also launch a quality improvement collaborative to put those lessons into action (Performance Improvement AAFP Prescribed Credits anticipated). Sign up now to receive more information; email Rebecca Bouck at rebecca.bouck@fmec.net.

Oral Health and Veterans Project

In late 2025, FMEC completed the Medical-Dental Integration for Veterans in Family Medicine Training Performance Improvement Pilot Project. Through faculty interviews, curriculum development, and implementation of a pilot project across family medicine residency programs, the project identified and addressed key categories of barriers to oral health care—specifically for veterans, but also to support all patients. Twenty-one faculty and residents at six family medicine residencies pilot tested the 11-week quality improvement (QI) project, implementing oral health assessments, enhancing data collection through electronic medical records (EMRs), and evaluating screening practices, identification of veteran status, oral health challenges, and referral processes. The project also developed a new, 45-60 minute curriculum you can present in your residency program. For more information, contact Rebecca Bouck at rebecca.bouck@fmec.net.

Pennsylvania Maternal Health Collaborative

FMEC is leading the Pennsylvania Maternal Health Collaborative (PMHC), a multi-disciplinary group convening quarterly to learn about maternal mortality, for all racial and ethnic groups but particularly for Black women, and strategize on what can be done at the provider, community and state level. Over 150 providers and advocates joined us for our November 7 meeting (Fathers: Supporting Pregnancy and Postnatal Care) and our January 23 meeting (Intimate Partner Violence and Related Trauma During and After Pregnancy). Visit the website for slides, handouts and recordings from those sessions. To sign up to join the Collaborative and receive more information on future meetings, complete this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PAMaternalHealth. 

FMEC Healthcare Innovator’s Network

Since 2008, FMEC has hosted the Healthcare Innovators Network during its Annual Meeting to provide space for diverse groups to showcase their work and receive useful feedback. These sessions expose students, residents, and faculty to new ideas and approaches, and help connect industry leaders and others looking to improve care. The 2025 Annual Meeting Healthcare Innovators Network continued the tradition of presenting this important content. Visit the page above to read short write-ups and see videos of the presentations for the 2025 sessions.

New Virtual CE Event for Residency Program Coordinators

Since 2023, FMEC has convened coordinators and other GME staff from the region’s 220+ residency programs to network, share information, and advise FMEC on what they need to help make your residency programs successful! Recently, FMEC completed a simple survey about their challenges, as well as their interest in convening for a formal education event. Watch FMEC communications for a call for submissions for a summer 2026 half-day, virtual conference for program coordinators. Thank you SO MUCH to more than 25 coordinators who joined our last meeting and completed our survey!

Congratulations, Susan Eckert!

In May, Franklin & Marshall College will grant an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters to FMEC consultant Susan C. Eckert, MEd, honoring her for exemplifying the civic spirit and leadership at the heart of the College’s mission. Susan was a 25-year President of The United Way of Lancaster and Principal of The Eckert Group. Her tireless commitment to Lancaster organizations has left a lasting mark on nearly every corner of the community’s professional and civic life. Under her leadership, United Way empowered generosity with purpose—giving donors a voice, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers, and bringing people together to direct resources where they were needed most. Since 2018 Susan has helped FMEC grow and thrive, overseeing the Legacy Campaign and scholarship fundraising while also being an invaluable contributor to the FMEC’s strategic direction. Read more about Susan in the Franklin & Marshall College announcement. Congratulations, Susan! 

Plan(s) for Your Student Loans

Are you a planner? Have you always known what you wanted and mapped out a path to get there? When life throws an unexpected curve, having a solid plan in place can make all the difference. That’s especially true with finances—and student loans—where one disruption can quickly ripple into another. When circumstances change—career moves, income shifts, family changes—having a student loan "Plan A" makes it easier to pivot to a thoughtful “Plan B.” Recent years have shown that student loan policy is not static; changes are common and often unexpected. Planning early, with a full understanding of the rules and options, helps reduce financial stress and avoid reactive decisions.

Take Action: If you’re unsure whether your current student loan plan still fits—or if you’ve never fully defined one—our partners at Navigate Student Loans are here to help. Navigate stays closely aligned with policy changes and can help you build a clear, informed strategy that adapts as your career and life evolve. Use this special link so Navigate knows FMEC sent you: https://navigate.as.me/FMEC.

FMEC Awards

Get your nominations ready! The 2026 FMEC Awards Program will open on March 27, 2026. Nominations are accepted for three career achievement awards (Family Physicians Changing Our World, Mid-Career Faculty Achievement, and Emerging Leaders) and submissions are accepted in the creative writing and arts categories (This We Believe, Creative Writing, and Visual Arts).

Update Your FMEC Contacts

FMEC regularly communicates to all 220 Program Directors and Coordinators in our northeast US region, as listed in the ACGME and AAFP program directories. Your program may have other administrative staff, such as GME managers or staff who coordinate scholarly activity, who should also be receiving information from FMEC such as our Call for Submissions. To confirm who we have on our list and add individuals, contact Shayla Rammel at shayla.rammel@fmec.net.

Vaccinations Across the Lifespan Town Hall

Join the National Hispanic Medical Association for Salud + Policy Town Hall: Vaccinations Across the Lifespan on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 2pm Eastern. This NHMA Town Hall will highlight the importance of vaccination across every stage of life during respiratory virus season. Experts in maternal health family medicine, public health, and policy – including FMEC Board member Sarah Inés Ramírez, MD – will discuss current vaccine recommendations, data trends, and approaches to strengthening vaccine confidence in Latino communities. Register here.

Pulse – an Invaluable Resource for Educators and Learners

Launched in 2008, Pulse–voices from the heart of medicine was created by members of the Department of Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in collaboration with colleagues and friends around the country. Widely used by medical educators to promote humanism and professionalism, Pulse enjoys a broad readership drawn to its diverse voices, compelling writing and authenticity. Every Friday, Pulse publishes and distributes a first-person story or poem, together with a visual image or haiku, about health care, and the Pulse website is an incredible resource of stories, poems, podcasts, and more. FMEC encourages members to subscribe, donate, and submit works to Pulse! 

Joining FMEC as an individual or institution gives you discounts! Programs who are FMEC Partners receive $300 discounts on their Residency Fair booths, and individuals who join, or receive complimentary memberships through an FMEC Partner organization, receive $50-75 discounts on registration. Join or renew now so you get your discounts on the 2026 Annual Meeting!

Also, institutions that join at the Silver ($2,500) Partner level and above get access to the FMEC’s Special Edition newsletter to post their job and fellowship openings. That’s one fee for an entire year of posting job ads! Read more about Special Edition and share the information with your recruiting department in this FMEC Special Edition Overview. 
Job hunting? Check out the January 2026 edition of the FMEC’s Special Edition newsletter, which features openings at Cleveland Clinic, Duquesne University, Geisinger, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, MedStar Health, PennState Health, University of Rochester Medical Center, UPMC, and WellSpan Health.

Also, FMEC can “bundle” your invoices for Partnership dues, Residency Fair booths, and faculty and resident individual registrations. We can also invoice your program at specific times during the year, for instance if it’s easier for you to pay at the beginning of your fiscal year, or you have funds left at the end of the fiscal year to put toward next year. If you would like special handling of your payments to FMEC, contact Shayla Rammel at shayla.rammel@fmec.net.

Donate Today

The Nik Zervanos, MD, Student Scholarship program has brought nearly 8,000 medical students to FMEC meetings over the last 20 years. Please help continue the great work started by Dr. Zervanos and donate to the Nik Zervanos, MD, Student Scholarship program. Help us bring over 300 students to the 2025 Annual Meeting in Cleveland! Donors (individuals, residency programs, medical staff, etc.) are recognized on the FMEC website and on signs and slides at the meeting.

A selection of upcoming family medicine and primary care meetings, nationally and in the FMEC region. If you have a meeting to be listed, please email jennifer.stamper@fmec.net.

• Feb 19-21, 2026 – ACGME Annual Educational Conference, San Diego, CA
• Feb. 25-28, 2026 – ADFM Annual Conference, Orlando, FL
• Mar. 3-6, 2026 – AAFP Residency Leadership Summitt, Dallas, TX
• Apr. 15-19, 2026 – ACOFP Annual Convention, Orlando, FL
• May 1-5, 2026 – STFM Annual Spring Conference, New Orleans, LA
• Aug. 31 – Sep. 2, 2026 – STFM Conference on Practice and Quality Improvement
• Jan. 29-Feb. 1 – STFM Conference on Medical Student Education, Charlotte, NC
• Feb. 25-28 – ADFM Annual Conference, Orlando, FL
• Feb. 19-21 – ACGME Annual Educational Conference, San Diego, CA
• Mar. 4-6 – AFMRD Residency Leadership Summit, Dallas, TX
• Apr. 1-5 – SNMA Annual Medical Education Conference, Pittsburgh, PA
• Apr. 15-19 – ACOFP Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL
• May 2-6 – STFM Annual Spring Conference, New Orleans, LA
• Jul. 30 – Aug. 1 - AAFP FUTURE Conference, Kansas City
• Aug. 31 – Sep. 2 – STFM Conference on Practice and Quality Improvement, Palm Desert, CA
• Sep. 24-26, 2026 – FMEC Annual Meeting, Atlantic City, NJ
• Oct. 20-24– AAFP FMX, Nashville, TN
• Sep. 9-11, 2027 – FMEC Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD