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FMEC Members and Friends:

Whether you are joining us in person in Providence, RI or you were unable to be here with us, we hope you appreciate this update on the FMEC Annual Meeting!

“We are Family Medicine, and we got this”

That was the message from Dr. Renee Crichlow, Chief Medical Officer of Codman Square Health Center and Vice-chair of Health Equity at the Boston University Department of Family Medicine. With stories of practicing in Minnesota before and during COVID-19, George Floyd and a nation confronting structural racism, and murder hornets (remember those?), Dr. Crichlow brought back strong memories for all the students, residents and faculty in the ballroom. But most important to remember was that family physicians were there, and they handled it. “We're Family Medicine. We've been here for you and we will continue to be here for you.” We are trained in the widest spectrum of healthcare; we are in urban, suburban, and rural locations; we provide holistic care for the whole family; and we serve not just the patient in front of us, but the whole community.

As Dr. Crichlow reminded us, as Family Medicine physicians, we know our communities have the capacity to get through crises, together. We know how to take care of each other. “Let us plan AND prepare, NOT panic. Let us be there for each other. Let us choose care, compassion and courage.” The FMEC thanks Dr. Crichlow for her inspiring work and words.

Connecting students to family medicine!



Saturday wrapped up two days of the FMEC’s Residency Fair. We were joined by 93 family medicine residency training programs, who helped us advance our goals of exposing medical students to family medicine.

Students and Residents! Apply to join the FMEC Board of Trustees

The FMEC Board is expanding to add a medical student and a resident position. Terms will be one-year with the option to serve again. Candidates must be actively enrolled in a medical school or family medicine residency training program in the FMEC region. For more information and to apply, visit Get Involved with the FMEC to learn more. The application deadline is October 27, 2023.

Coming up today

Don’t miss the morning plenary session, at 7:30am, featuring Manisha Kumar, MD, who will present Catalyst for Change: Increasing Access to Safe Abortion Care and Upholding Bodily Autonomy . Dr. Kumar will share her experience from nearly a decade of working with Doctors Without Borders stimulating an institutional culture change to destigmatize abortion and increasing access to safe abortion care in humanitarian settings around the world.

Join us next year in Philadelphia!

The 2024 Annual Meeting will be held at the Philadelphia Marriott on September 19-21, 2024. Mark your calendars now and watch for program submissions to open later this year. Contact Scott Allen at [email protected] if you are interested in helping to plan the most exciting meeting in family medicine.