The West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (WVAFP) proudly recognized four outstanding resident and medical student leaders who represented the Mountain State at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) FUTURE Conference, held July 31 – Aug. 1 in Kansas City, MO.
The annual conference brings together hundreds of Family Medicine residents and medical students from across the country for leadership development, professional networking, educational programming, and engagement with the future of the specialty. The conference also serves as the meeting site for the Student and Resident Congresses, where future physician leaders discuss issues impacting family medicine and elect national representatives.
Highlighting the conference, Caleb Duncan, DO, a PGY-2 Family Medicine resident at Vandalia Health CAMC and graduate of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), was elected by his resident peers from across the country to serve as the Resident Alternate Delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates. Dr. Duncan, who is originally from Seth in Boone County, West Virginia, will represent resident physicians at the Congress in Nashville, Tennessee, this October before advancing to serve as the Resident Delegate role the following year.
Joining Dr. Duncan in representing West Virginia were: Ryan Hayes, MD, PGY-2 Family Medicine resident with the WVU Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine, from Ripley; Erin McGowan, a fourth-year osteopathic medical student at the WVSOM, from Harpers Ferry; and Matthew Fleshman, a fourth-year medical student at West Virginia University School of Medicine, from Hinton.
Together, the delegation represented West Virginia’s medical schools, residency programs, and the future of Family Medicine while participating in educational sessions, networking with colleagues from across the nation, and exploring innovations shaping the future of primary care.
“The FUTURE Conference provides an incredible opportunity for our residents and medical students to develop as physician leaders while building relationships with colleagues from across the country,” said Dr. Matthew A. Davis, Board Chair and CEO of the WVAFP. “We are proud of Caleb on his election to national office, and equally proud of Ryan, Erin, and Matthew for representing West Virginia with professionalism, enthusiasm, and a commitment to advancing Family Medicine. Their involvement demonstrates the strength of our state’s future physician workforce and the bright future of Family Medicine in West Virginia.”
The WVAFP remains committed to investing in the development of future physician leaders by supporting resident and student participation in national leadership opportunities. Through engagement in organizations such as the AAFP, West Virginia’s emerging physicians gain valuable experience in leadership, advocacy, education, and collaboration while helping shape the future of Family Medicine at both the state and national levels.
The West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (WVAFP) proudly represents nearly 1,000 active physicians, retirees, residents, and medical students across the state, as its largest physician specialty medical association. Its members serve as a key foundational piece of primary care in West Virginia, providing comprehensive, patient-centered care in communities large and small.
