Background
The UW Family Medicine Interest Group is part of a national network of FMIGs that is sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The national network allows students great opportunities in regional and national leadership in addition to leadership within their local FMIG.
Academies of Family Physicians
In addition to the AAFP, most states also have their own chapters. For example, the Seattle UW FMIG is generously supported by the philanthropic arm of the WAFP, the Washington Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.
Organization of UW FMIG
Student leaders are self-selected; anyone can show up as an interested party and become a leader. Some projects require a larger commitment in time and effort (such as service projects), while other one-time events are less involved. UW FMIGs each have a faculty advisor and the Seattle FMIG also has staff support. Below are some examples of workshops and events UW FMIG has held in the past.
UW FMIG Events and Projects by Program Type
See below for more details on each.
Workshops
- Splinting
- Basic suture and other wound care skills
- Gender-affirming care
- EKG
- IUD insertion and removal
- Uterine aspiration
- Weight-inclusive care
- Addiction medicine
- Health advocacy
Career Seminar Series
- What is a Family Doc? panel discussion
- Residency Nuts & Bolts panel discussion
- How to be a Competitive Applicant panel discussion
Recurring Programs & Events
- Executive Committee student leader planning meetings
- Dinner with family physicians
- Baby Beeper program for students to round and (hopefully) see a birth!
Service Learning Programs & Events
- Healthcare Explorers mentoring high school students
- Youth homeless shelter volunteering
- Smoking and vaping cessation presentations at local high schools
- Annual holiday clothing drive
Community and Organizational Partnerships
- National Primary Care Week
- Family physician state academy partnerships
Timeline
Monthly during Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters
Description
FMIG planning meetings occur monthly scheduled around student schedules. FMIG leaders discuss events they are planning for the quarter and select projects they’d like to spearhead. There are some recurring programs every year but new ideas are always welcome. FMIG students lead the meetings with faculty and staff advisors present to provide guidance when needed.
Meetings take place around lunchtime when both first and second year students are available along with the FMIG faculty and staff advisors. Lunch is provided.
Planning and Preparation
Approximately one week prior to the meeting, FMIG leaders send an e-mail to invite all students to the meeting. They include the meeting’s agenda along with a WeJoinIn link for students to RSVP for the meeting which assists with lunch ordering as well as reporting to financial supporters.
Timeline
Throughout autumn and winter quarters.
Background and Description
Guest speakers are invited to talk about various topics in family medicine in an informal setting.
Topic-Based Brown Bags
The topic-based brown bags are a great opportunity for faculty, residents, and community physicians to meet eager MS1 and MS2 students and to share a specific interest with them. Brainstorm with FMIG advisors for a list of potential topics and speakers to contact. Usually students give suggestions of topics that interest them at the quarterly planning meetings.
Some past topics include:
- Adolescent medicine
- OB within family medicine
- Business side of family medicine
- Opening own practice
- Direct Primary Care
- Financial realities of family medicine
- Health policy advocacy
- Choosing fourth-year family medicine rotations
Planning and Preparation
The Brown Bags take place during lunch on days when both MS1 and MS2 students are free.
- Free parking is arranged for the speaker when needed.
- The speaker will provide a short biography and a blurb about their topic to include in advertising to the students.
Timeline
While the first full week of October is the “official” National Primary Care Week, spreading activities and workshops throughout a month — and in November — can result in higher attendance for each event.
Background and Description
National Primary Care Week is an annual event put on by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). The FMIG partners with other student organizations on campus, such as the Pediatric Interest Group and Internal Medicine Interest Group to offer events related to primary care. Prior events have included physician and resident panel discussions, film screenings, wound care and IUD workshops, a variety/talent show with primary care trivia, and social dinners with residents and physicians.
Preparation and Planning
Planning spans over the summer (typically Zoom meetings) and into fall quarter. Preparing for these events is much like any others – see what the budget allows for food, reserve rooms, set up parking for any guests, etc. Student organizations divide costs as necessary.
Timeline
Orientation – once at beginning of each autumn, winter, and spring quarters
Program – runs through autumn, winter, and spring quarters
Description
This program runs every quarter. Students sign up for one week at a time, join residents for rounding, and are paged to have the chane to observe a delivery.
Quarterly Duties
- Student leaders create a WeJoinIn each quarter so people can sign up for specific dates (see prior sign-ups as an example). The leaders are responsible for advertising and actually signing students up.
- Schedule the orientation for sometime during the first week of the quarter for a time when all MS1 and MS2’s are available.
- Student leaders need to ensure that the baby beeper paperwork is updated and that the packet is ready to go.
Timeline
Training takes place autumn quarter and is organized by student leaders. Workshops at schools take place throughout autumn, winter, and spring quarters.
Description
UW FMIG leaders developed a workshop aimed at educating youth on the consequences of vaping. The workshop includes a 15-minute presentation and an activity for the student participants in which they run in place while breathing through straws to simulate lungs damaged from smoking and vaping. Lastly, the kids are shown inflatable lung models of healthy and diseased lungs and are given the chance to touch the lung models to feel the difference.
Planning / Logistics
To prepare for the workshop, FMIG students attend a training led by students with prior program teaching experience. A discussion on approaches to presenting the material and how to deal with questions or issues that may arise followed the training. Student leaders contact local schools (there is a list from previous years) to inquire on interest and scheduling. Leaders will then pair up and lead the workshop at schools.
Supplies
Straws and the two lung models are all that’s needed.
Description
Residents from a local family medicine residency program come to teach students about the discipline of sports medicine within Family Medicine. They review the indications for splinting and train students to apply short arm splints. Students practice splinting each other with guidance from the residents.
Planning / Logistics
Student leader should discuss supplies with instructors at least a month before workshop in case any supplies need to be ordered.
- Food – consult the budget for this event. Student leaders can help plan the food.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs – discuss the attendance cap with instructors
- Arrange parking for the instructors
- Book a room
Timeline
Starts early November and runs until end of autumn quarter.
Description
This is an annual collection of clothing donations and toiletry items for local organizations that serve those experiencing homelessness.
Planning / Logistics
FMIG student leaders place boxes (sometimes decorated with holiday gift wrap) with signage around the School of Medicine for donations. Student leaders empty the boxes weekly and store donations in the Family Medicine offices. Student leaders email MS1s, MS2s, and the School of Medicine faculty and staff advertising the locations to bring donations.At the end of the quarter, there is a sorting party to divide donations amongst the shelters depending on their needs. Student leaders transport the donations to the shelters.
Supplies
The only needs are large cardboard boxes which can often be acquired for free. There is little to no cost for this event.
Description
Faculty and residents from a local family medicine residency teach medical students advanced musculoskeletal exam skills. The first 30 minutes are spent reviewing the exams followed by an hour of students practicing exams with each other under the guidance of the faculty and residents.
Planning / Logistics
- Food – consult the budget for this event. Student leaders can help plan the food.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs – Cap the amount of students available to attend since each participant will need their own station.
- Arrange parking for the faculty and residents.
- Book a classroom through Classroom Services.
Description
Faculty and residents from a local family medicine residency teach students various suturing techniques including simple and straight lacerations, deep layer closures, skin closures, and interrupted and mattress sutures. Students practiced these newly learned skills with guidance from the guest instructors.
Planning / Logistics
- Order food for event.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs – Cap the amount of students available to attend since each participant will need their own station.
- Arrange parking for the faculty and residents.
- Book a classroom through Classroom Services.
Supplies
Suture kits – one per student.
Sharps container
Description
Family Medicine residents from the Seattle area share their experience with residency from the application process through the end of third year. Students were encouraged to ask the panel questions and thoughtful discussions ensue.
Planning / Logistics
Student leaders will contact local residencies to recruit family medicine residents.
- Food – consult the budget for this event. Student leaders can help plan the food.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs – Allow as many students as possible to attend. As the date gets closer you can see how much food will be needed.
- Arrange parking for the faculty and residents.
- Book a classroom or lecture hall through Classroom Services.
Supplies
Anything needed for food; plates, napkins, utensils, etc.
Description
Faculty and residents from a local family medicine residency teach medical students a variety of hands on skills including vacuum assisted delivery, forceps assisted delivery, episiotomy repair, and fetal heart tone auscultation.
Planning / Logistics
- Food – consult the budget for this event. Student leaders can help plan the food.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs – Cap the amount of students available to attend since each participant will need their own station.
- Arrange parking for the faculty and residents.
- Book two classrooms through Classroom Services; one for the main workshop and a breakout room for exams and pregnant women (usually recruited by the residency leading the workshop).
Supplies
All supplies for Seattle FMIG are brought by the residency and include birthing mannequins, models for perennial repair demonstrations, and 1-3 patients.
Description
Faculty and residents from a local family medicine residency teach medical students how to place leads, decipher EKG printouts and discuss irregular readings.
Planning / Logistics
- Food – consult the budget for this event. Student leaders can help plan the food.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs – Cap the amount of students available to attend since each participant will need their own station.
- Arrange parking for the faculty and residents.
- Book two classrooms through Classroom Services; one to practice placing leads (and reading EKG if a machine is accessible), second room to review sample irregular EKG readouts.
Supplies
An EKG machine can be hard to borrow since it is such an expensive piece of equipment. So we came up with this workaround tailored to students’ education level. MS1s; followup for cell phys focusing on normal physiology and placing leads. Maybe video of someone getting 12 lead ECG
MS2s; exam review focusing on high yield abnormal rhythms
Supplies needed would be leads (usually purchased online), sample printouts of EKG readings for review containing a variety of different samples physicians may come across, and any food related supplies.
Description
This hands-on workshop is always hugely popular! Family physicians that practice OB give a short introduction to IUDs and a tutorial on how to place the device. Students then practice placing the device themselves using model uteri and model IUDs with guidance and feedback from the instructors.
Planning / Logistics
- Food – consult the budget for this event. Student leaders can help plan the food.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs – cap the amount of students able to attend depending on IUD kits available.
- Arrange parking for the instructors.
- Book a room.
Supplies
IUD model kits can be purchased once and then reused.
Timeline
Early to mid May.
Description
Family Medicine Career Advisors presents on what it takes to be a competitive applicant to family medicine residencies.
Planning / Logistics
- Food – consult the budget for this event. Student leaders can help plan the food.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs – Get as large a room as possible so as not to have to cap attendance.
- Book a lecture hall through Classroom Services with a projector for any slides presenter may want to show.
Supplies
Anything needed for food; plates, napkins, utensils, etc.
Timeline
May, based on King County Academy of Family Physicians (KCAFP) Annual Meeting schedule.
Description
A reception for fourth year students matching in family medicine co-sponsored by the King County Academy of Family Physicians (KCAFP) and the Washington Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP). First through third year medical students considering matching in family medicine are also invited to come and connect with their senior colleagues. Keynote speakers from the WAFP are invited to congratulate students on their match and future careers in family medicine.
Planning / Logistics
- Food – ordered by KCAFP which FMIG reimburses for afterwards.
- Create a WeJoinIn for RSVPs
- Usually the Center for Urban Horticulture, wherever the KCAFP’s annual meeting is held.
Supplies
N/A
Last updated June 2025