Workforce

Mississippi Family Medicine Residencies Welcome New Match Class

We'd like to introduce the 2026–2027 Match Class joining Mississippi’s eight Family Medicine residencies. We’re proud to have them join our Family Physicians family and can’t wait to see the impact they will make.

Family medicine is more than a career—it’s a calling. As primary care providers, these residents will build lasting relationships with patients, promote preventive care, and address a wide range of health concerns. Their work will have a profound impact, particularly in rural and underserved areas where family physicians play a critical role.

2026 Match Sets Records for Family Medicine Positions Offered and Filled

More than 800 family medicine residencies offered a record-setting 5,512 positions in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and set another record by filling 4,613 positions.

Read more about this record breaking match day here.

Residents and Students: Join Us At Spring Fling!

Join us on Saturday, April 18, 2026 for the 2026 MAFP Spring Fling — created just for you!

This exciting event is your chance to connect with fellow students, residents, and practicing physicians while gaining exposure to dynamic speakers, engaging topics, and hands-on procedural skills you may not experience during training. Plus, enjoy joint sessions with active physicians and start building relationships that can shape your future career in family medicine. The best part? There is no cost to attend!

Topics and Workshops

• Interview Techniques
• Rise Through Residency: Building Strength, Skill, and Self-Compassion
• Financial Wellness For Your Future
• Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My First Job After Residency Panel
• Why I Chose Family Medicine Panel
• Suturing Workshop
• Splinting and Casting Workshop
• Board Elections
• Research Poster Presentations

Academy

Nominating Committee To Meet Soon

The MAFP Nominating Committee will soon convene to review candidates for open positions on both the MAFP Board of Directors and the MAFP Foundation Board of Trustees.

Serving on these boards is a unique opportunity to contribute to the advancement of family medicine in Mississippi, influence key decisions, and support initiatives that enhance the professional growth of family physicians.

Interested in Serving?

We are looking for dedicated and passionate members who are eager to make a difference. If you are interested in serving on the MAFP Board of Directors or the MAFP Foundation Board of Trustees, please reach out to Beth Embry at beth@msafp.org with your intention to serve, so we can present your candidacy to the Nominating Committee.

Your involvement can help shape the future of family medicine in our state. Don’t miss this chance to play a pivotal role in our organization’s mission and activities.

Advocacy

Read the latest from The Clay Firm

As the legislative session enters its final weeks, lawmakers are focused on finalizing the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. While most appropriations bills are still in conference, 26 agency budgets have already reached Governor Tate Reeves’ desk and are awaiting final approval.

Legislators will spend much of this weekend, known as “Conference Weekend,” negotiating final details to ensure every bill meets these deadlines.

Governor Signs “Jill’s Law” for Biomarker Testing Coverage

Cancer advocates are celebrating after Gov. Tate Reeves signed “Jill’s Law” expanding access to biomarker testing for Mississippians covered by state-regulated health insurance plans. Biomarker testing is a critical tool that helps physicians identify the most effective treatments for cancer and other diseases.

House Bill 565, known as  “Jill’s Law” requires insurance coverage for biomarker tests that identify personalized, targeted treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases.  Effective July 1, the law is considered a significant step towards better patient outcomes and reduced trial-and-error treatments.

Professional Development

Register now for the MAFP Spring Conference scheduled for April 17 – 19 at the Sheraton Refuge in Flowood. This conference offers a broad spectrum of topics of clinical interest to family physicians. Designed to maximize both continuing medical education and networking opportunities, attendees may earn live CME credits over the weekend. 

Is your clinic recruiting? Attend the MAFP Spring Conference and meet your next partner! 

Topics & Workshops

• Dermatology Update: Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis, and Skin Cancer
• Depression in the Exam Room: Practical Strategies for Busy Physicians
• MS Primary Care Update
• Mind the Gap: Improving Diagnosis and Timely Treatment of sHTG and FCS in Primary Care Setting
• Review of Hormonal Replacement Therapy
• Real Intelligence vs. AI: How They

Co-Exist

• One Specialty, Many Stages: A Family Medicine Roundtable
• Splinting & Suturing

Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Zahid Ahmad

Topic: Mind the Gap: Improving Diagnosis and Timely Treatment of sHTG and FCS in Primary Care Setting

Zahid Ahmad, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine and a lipid specialist with a clinical and research focus on severe hypertriglyceridemia, familial chylomicronemia syndrome, and other genetic lipid disorders. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DoD), and the American Heart Association (AHA).

Dr. Ahmad completed his undergraduate training in Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University, followed by medical school at Tulane University. He completed his Internal Medicine residency and Endocrinology fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he has been on faculty for over 15 years. He is actively involved in clinician education and national efforts to improve the diagnosis and timely treatment of complex dyslipidemias. Dr. Ahmad is actively involved in the National Lipid Association, where he currently serves as President‑Elect.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the pathophysiological mechanisms and diagnostic criteria of severely elevated triglycerides, including FCS
• Evaluate the risks of severely elevated triglycerides in patients with FCS and the unmet therapeutic need in this population
• Assess the latest clinical safety and efficacy data on new and emerging therapies for sHTG and FC   

Spring Conference

Hotel Accommodations

The Sheraton Flowood Refuge Hotel

2200 Refuge Blvd

Flowood, MS 39232

Rates are $179 plus tax per night. Room block expires TODAY, Friday, March 27th.

Join Us for More CME at Annual & Fall Conferences

Sandestin Room Block Is Open



The room block is now open for MAFP's 77th Annual Scientific Assembly, scheduled for July 18-22, 2026, at Sandestin Resort in Sandestin, Florida! Reserve your room by clicking the button below or to call directly:



Sandestin Group Reservations

1-800-320-8115

Group Code: 2562NB

Mark Your Calendars for Fall in Point Clear, AL!

MAFP Fall Conference 2026 will be held October 30 through November 1 at The Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa in Point Clear, AL.

Rooms for this CME Conference will open next week!

Performance Improvement CME Opportunity for Members



The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is launching a Performance Improvement CME (PI CME) cohort program to improve colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) completion in primary care by addressing guideline knowledge gaps, workflow barriers, and disparities in care delivery.

Through live webinars, an interactive online course, and practice-based quality improvement activities, participating family physicians from up to 25 practices—prioritized in regions with low screening rates—will implement evidence-based, team-based strategies to increase screening adherence and timely follow‑up.

• Earn up to 30.5 CME credits—including 20 PI CME credits
• Improve real‑world colorectal cancer screening completion rates.
• Move beyond ordering tests to addressing follow‑up gaps, missed results, and workflow barriers that prevent patients from completing screening.
• Get hands‑on support using a proven PDSA quality‑improvement model.
• Assess your current practice, implement evidence‑based interventions, analyze outcomes, and refine your approach with guidance from expert faculty and peers.
• Strengthen team‑based workflows and reduce practice inefficiencies.
• Clarify staff roles, improve tracking and follow‑up processes, and build systems that support timely screening and patient navigation.
• Gain clarity on evolving CRC screening guidelines and test options.
• Learn how to apply AAFP and USPSTF recommendations, navigate differing guidelines, and confidently discuss colonoscopy and stool‑based screening options with patients.
• Advance equitable screening and address disparities in care.
• Implement strategies to improve screening rates among populations with historically lower uptake, helping close gaps in colorectal cancer outcomes.
• Access practical, ready‑to‑use tools for your practice.
• Receive clinical decision aids, patient education materials, workflow checklists, and digital resources you can use immediately.
• Learn alongside a small, focused cohort of peers.
• Collaborate with physicians from up to 25 practices facing similar challenges, with opportunities for peer discussion and shared learning.
• Demonstrate measurable improvements in patient outcomes.
• Document changes in practice performance and screening completion rates—linking CME participation directly to better patient care.

Public Awareness

MS Awareness in Family Medicine

Family medicine physicians play a pivotal role in the early recognition and ongoing care of people living with multiple sclerosis. The National MS Society is partnering with family physicians to help you recognize MS earlier and support your patients with MS to live their best lives.

Check out these two presentations on MS Signs and Symptoms:

Order Some MAFP Swag!

Fresh season, fresh swag! Grab your MAFP logo apparel at a special spring cleaning price:

T-Shirts – $15 (regularly $20)

Sweatshirts – $30 (regularly $35)

Shipping: $7.50

OR FREE Pick-Up at our Spring Conference!